


The Cursed Of August

by taeyongseo



Series: Tales from the Tablespoon Universe [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, M/M, Roommates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 148,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeyongseo/pseuds/taeyongseo
Summary: When Yukhei's parents send him halfway around the world to ensure his safety, he finds a new home at Hogwarts and in Jungwoo, his fellow Hufflepuff who calls to him with the most charming smile.AThe Spell That Bindssequel.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Series: Tales from the Tablespoon Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1286951
Comments: 2767
Kudos: 3616
Collections: Luwoo Couple





	1. The October Transfer

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, welcome to The Cursed Of August, the official The Spell That Binds (and The House On The Hill) sequel! In this story, we will meet all of our old friends again, and might even find some new ones. I missed the TSTB universe terribly and I'm really excited to return, so I don't want to make this beginning note unnecessary long. Here are just some things I think are worth mentioning: 
> 
> 1) As with TSTB, I want to mention that there are characters who might do or say some really stupid things, but if they are mentioned in this fic by name that probably means that I really like the real person that inspired the character and I have absolutely nothing against them. Also please be mindful that the real person and the character remain separate entities.
> 
> 2) This is a work of complete fiction. This work does not reflect upon the real life people mentioned in this fictional story, and the non-fictive people named are not affiliated with this story in any way. The story and its characters belong to me. Do not repost anywhere and do not print/distribute.
> 
> 3) Lastly, my lovely friend Öykü drew some gorgeous [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> for this story! Also, if you'd like some, here's some [background music](http://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xg1d0bimn9HL7eeybm71I?si=8hrQt7gqScWhJPgbo16plw). 
> 
> Now, enough of me talking. I hope you enjoy!

The red-haired doctor was nervous. Yukhei could tell by the way he kept walking up and down the hallway, his fingers dancing over the silver snake that curled around his wrist.

The bracelet seemed to blink back whenever Yukhei stared at it for too long. Over the past few weeks, Yukhei had often wondered whether it held any kind of powerful magic. He figured the bracelet had to, if only the doctor seemed to find great comfort in caressing the snake’s silvery body whenever his nerves were strained.

The doctor’s nerves were strained a lot these days. Yukhei knew it was his fault and he wanted to apologise for that, but he didn’t have the words. Not the right ones, anyways. As it was, he couldn’t do much more but give the doctor his most optimistic smile, hoping to convey all the hope he felt. He was glad when it looked like the doctor understood.

He interrupted his pacing to sit down on the stone bench next to Yukhei, his hand coming up to stroke Yukhei’s head. Yukhei couldn’t help the blissful sigh that came out of his mouth. He was a very tactile person and the last weeks in quarantine had left him touch-starved. It was for that reason that he felt little shame leaning into the doctor’s touch, pressing his face into his shoulder.

His eagerness made the doctor laugh. He began to properly run his fingers through the strands of Yukhei’s hair, all the while speaking words into his ear that Yukhei struggled to understand, but whose underlying sense he could derive from the doctor’s soothing tone. The edge of laughter framed his words. It made Yukhei feel a little lighter, a little less worried even though he should have been. The doctor’s care was as soothing to Yukhei as the bracelet’s warm silver was to the doctor.

He reluctantly lifted his head when there was the sound of fleet-footed steps echoing down the hallway. He recognised the wizard that was approaching them, though he couldn’t tell where he had seen him before.

The last weeks had been a blur of unfamiliarity. He had been surrounded by unfamiliar witches and wizards with unfamiliar hands touching him and unfamiliar mouths speaking in a tongue he couldn’t understand except for the few, basic words the doctor had managed to teach him. The only constant among the sea of strangers had been the red-haired doctor, who had been there when Yukhei had arrived and for every of his waking hours since then.

During his time in quarantine, Yukhei had found great comfort in his smile. The red-haired doctor never looked at him as if he was a monster. Or rather, he looked at Yukhei as if that wasn’t the only thing Yukhei was. Yukhei watched him smile now, as he sprung up from their bench to embrace the other wizard.

“Sicheng,” he greeted and Yukhei remembered.

He had seen the other wizard twice before, each time through the small, barred window embedded into his door at the hospital and each time arguing with the red-haired doctor. They seemed to get along now, though the red-haired doctor was still twitching with nervousness.

Yukhei swallowed when Sicheng turned towards him.

 _“Hello, Lucas,”_ the blond wizard’s smile was reserved, but kind, _“how are you?”_

It took Yukhei a moment to realise that he had understood what the other had said. It wasn’t Yukhei’s mother tongue, but it was the common tongue that was spoken at Weishen and so it was as native to Yukhei as his home dialect. It was a greater relief than he had expected, to speak after he had been reduced to head nods and hand gestures for so long, first on the ship that had brought him here and then in the gated rooms of the hospital.

 _“I’m fine.”_ _Manners,_ he could hear Master Zhoumi reprimand him in his head and so he tagged on a quick, _“Thank you.”_

_“Did Taeyong explain to you why we brought you here?”_

Yukhei shook his head. _“I think he tried, but I…I didn’t understand him.”_ The admission made Yukhei anxious. He didn’t want Sicheng to think that he was blaming the doctor. _“It’s my fault, though. I don’t understand enough."_

Something about that statement made Sicheng’s expression soften. _“Don’t worry,”_ he said. _“You will learn. For today, I can translate for you.”_

There was the sound of wood scraping over stone and then the double-winged doors to their right opened. A small group of people exited, consoling the crying witch in their middle and Yukhei wanted to ask what was wrong with her when he noticed the wizard that had come out after them. The wizard was dressed in rich, purple robes, a silver _W_ stitched onto the front pocket. Yukhei had a feeling that he didn’t belong to the group of witches, who were dressed in much more ordinary robes.

The wizard’s expression was stoic, seemingly indifferent as he made his way over to them, but Yukhei could see a spark of warmth in his eyes when he placed a hand on Taeyong’s shoulder. Deep dimples dug into his cheeks as he leaned down to speak into the doctor’s ear.

Yukhei wanted to greet him, maybe introduce himself, but before he could do so much as lean forward, his chin was grabbed and his head was turned. Yukhei’s eyes widened when he found himself faced with the tip of Sicheng’s wand, pointing right at the space between his eyes.

Sicheng’s voice was urgent as he spoke, _“We’re up earlier than I thought, so I don’t have the time to explain everything to you right now, but what you must know is that the day of your hearing is today. Right now, to be precise.”_

Yukhei’s eyes widened.

_“I’m going to share my mind with you for a moment. It’s a translation spell that lets you understand everything I’m capable of understanding. You might feel dizzy, but that’s normal.”_

_“What’s going on?”_ Yukhei asked, but let Sicheng tilt his head around until the other wizard was content.

 _“In the hearing, the Wizengamot, our grand jury, will determine whether the Ministry of Magic is granting you asylum,”_ Sicheng flicked his wand, drawing a line of light in between Yukhei’s forehead and his own.

Yukhei scrunched up his nose as there was pressure on his mind and the spell connecting him to Sicheng’s temple glew bright before fading.

When Sicheng continued speaking, Yukhei heard him in his mind as well as with his ears, _“If everything goes well, you’re allowed to stay and we can even release you from the hospital.”_

 _“What if it doesn’t go well?”_ It wasn’t something Yukhei liked to think about, but the past weeks in isolation had given him time to prepare. Now, he wanted to know. He had to know, whether all of his parents’ efforts had been in vain. _“Will they send me back?”_

_Will they send me back to die?_

_“No,”_ Sicheng said and Yukhei decided to believe the smile that threatened to curl in the corner of his mouth, _“not if we can prevent it.”_

*

The hearing wasn’t going well.

Yukhei could tell by the tight set to Sicheng’s mouth as he argued with the rows upon rows of purple robes sitting on the stands in front of him. Though the spell Sicheng had put on him allowed Yukhei to understand the gist of the conversation, Yukhei’s brain struggled to focus on any words spoken when there were so many different impressions pressing into his mind. 

There were so many eyes boring into his form, so many bright lights flickering above, the sounds of the wooden benches creaking underneath the weight of its occupants. The other didn’t like being underground, and neither did Yukhei. It made his skin crawl.

Taeyong’s leg next to him was jiggling nervously, his grip on his bracelet so tight it turned his knuckles white. Nonetheless, he shot Yukhei a small smile when he noticed him looking. There was a certain determination in his eyes that made Yukhei not give up hope quite yet.

Currently, one of the purple-robed jurors was speaking, his voice croaky as the elderly wizard pointed at Yukhei. Yukhei didn’t have to be able to understand his every word to hear the underlying disgust in his voice.

He ducked his head, rubbing his hand over his thigh. For the first time in his life, he wished that he hadn’t grown quite as tall as he had. If he had been small like Taeyong, he might have been able to hide behind the doctor, hide from all the eyes boring into him, judging him for something he hadn’t chosen.

The elderly juror had talked himself red-faced by the time Sicheng finally managed to get a word in and Yukhei watched as his voice remained calm while his hands curled into fists behind his back.

“We’ve already established that we have the financial cost of his treatment covered. We both know his sponsor is more than able to provide the necessary funds to ensure a seamless treatment with the Wolfsbane potion. Money is not an issue.”

“That may be,” the elderly wizard croaked, “but that doesn’t cancel out the argument that the boy’s mere presence is a threat.”

Yukhei could hear Taeyong next to him scoff, his nerves seemingly turning into anger as he mumbled out a very unkind “As if you’d know anything about that, you ignorant fossil.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” another purple-robed witch spoke up. Her mouth curled in distaste. “Why would we put the entire student body of Hogwarts at risk for a foreign lycanthrope? Whether he’s a child or not, we all know that he could be the nicest boy in the world, as soon as the full moon strikes, he won’t be able to control himself!”

“The Wolfsbane potion will allow him to retain his consciousness during the shift, we’ve been over this.” Sicheng was clearly frustrated.

Eventually, their discussion was put to an end by the wizard that was sitting in the middle of the panel, his seat raised above the others. Sicheng had explained to him that that wizard was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, the one that would pass his verdict. His expression was just as stoic as the one of the wizard that was sitting next to him, the same one that had come to fetch them for the hearing, and Yukhei thought that they must have been related with how similar they looked.

The Chief Warlock raised his hand, commanding silence and Yukhei squirmed at how grave the atmosphere in the room became. Even the hand Taeyong had rested against his back couldn’t save him from the palpable hatred directed at him. It made him feel a sense of foreboding and Yukhei felt hope leave his body like grains of sand falling through the body of an hourglass. His time had run out.

The Chief Warlock opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get the first of his words out, the atmosphere was broken by a loud bang, followed by the familiar sound of wood scraping over stone. Yukhei breathed out in relief when the noise caused the Wizengamot to look at the doors instead of him.

They had swung open to allow a single wizard inside. He was tall, taller than Yukhei even, his steps echoing loudly as he slowly descended the stairs that lead to the bottom floor of the auditorium. Yukhei found himself sinking lower in his seat with every step the wizard took and he didn’t realise why until he noticed that his action mirrored the rest of the people around him. Yukhei blinked in surprise when he saw how many of the Wizengamot members had recoiled in their seats, only those closest to the dais of the Chief Warlock seemingly unaffected by the wizard’s appearance.

Unlike Yukhei had expected, the wizard didn’t join them in the pit. Instead, he slid into one of the spectator rows, the rich, dark fabric of his robes spreading as he propped his elbows on the backrest behind him. There was a huge, white scar on the back of his hand and, lower on his wrist, Yukhei spotted a flash of silver, the winding body of a snake. 

Yukhei instinctively looked at Taeyong, whose hand had fallen from his own bracelet. The doctor was facing forward, paying utmost attention to the court proceedings, but where he had been jittery with nerves before, he seemed calm now, almost relaxed. On his lips, there was a miniscule smile. Yukhei decided to mimick him, facing forward though he felt the skin of his nape prickle, as if he was being looked at from behind. 

The Chief Warlock had resumed his speech and Yukhei tried to concentrate, but he couldn’t focus past the static in his ears. When the noise became unbearable to him, he closed his eyes and thought of mountains, higher than any human could reach. He thought of his home, Weishen’s halls that were so close to the sun that the rooms never fully went dark and how many summers he had spent chasing his brother through the woods that hugged the mountain like a blanket. They had betrayed him in the end, the forest and his brother, but Yukhei thought that if the Wizengamot sent him back, then at least he would get to see his home one last time. 

“Lucas...” Sicheng’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

For a moment, Yukhei was scared that he might have missed something, but he quickly realised that Sicheng wasn’t talking to him. He was talking to the jurors, giving his final address. One last plea for Yukhei’s life. 

“He deserves that we grant him his request. He is a boy. He is a boy as much as he is a beast and the penalty for his affliction is death where he comes from. We can prevent that. We can give him a chance. He deserves to live and go to school and find friends just like any other boy his age. With the help of his sponsor and Hogwarts’ agreement, this is possible. We have secured both, now it is up to you.” 

Sicheng lightly inclined his head before he turned and took the seat on Yukhei’s other side. 

The Chief Warlock rose, commanding attention with a wave of his hand. Silence befell the room at once. Yukhei could hear his heart hammering in his chest, felt Taeyong grab onto his knee. Yukhei was surprised by how warm the metal of the doctor’s bracelet was against his leg.

“All those in favour of approving the defendant’s application for asylum under the Decree for the Protection of Minority Species and Unharmful Beasts, please raise your hands.” 

The first to raise his hand was the wizard that had come to fetch them. His expression was just as stoic as it had been before, but there was a spark in his eyes as he looked to where the wizard with the snake bracelet was sitting. Yukhei thought that the two wizards must have known each other, judging by the way they seemed to be able to communicate with their eyes alone. 

Yukhei held his breath as more hands followed the first one, more votes in favour of his life. The grip Taeyong had on his leg became incredibly tight and Yukhei felt none of it as he tried to count, tried to make out whether he had the majority. There were so many hands in the air, so many that didn’t rise. Yukhei’s vision blurred, his lungs cramping with the lack of oxygen, but he couldn’t breathe, not until the gavel came down. 

Yukhei forced air into his lungs as the Chief Warlock rose. 

“Lucas Wong,” the Chief Warlock announced, “under the Decree for the Protection of Minority Species and Unharmful Beasts, the Wizengamot grants you asylum. You may report back to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to receive your new wizard identification documents. I’m sure Mr Dong will have no trouble seeing to it that you fill out your forms in a timely manner.” 

The gavel time came down a second time and Yukhei breathed out. 

He felt a blinding smile overtake his face as arms wound around his neck. Taeyong pulled him against his chest while Sicheng covered his back, the two men holding him together as noises escaped from his throat that didn’t quite make sense in any language but carried all the he wanted to say. 

He would live. 

After months in isolation, in agony both because of his wounds and the uncertainty of his future, he finally knew that his journey had been worth it. He would _live_. He longed to tell his parents about this, but he had no way to contact them and even if he had had the means, Wong Yukhei was dead. He had to remain dead for as long as Lucas wanted to live. 

Yukhei said his new name quietly to himself. Thinking about the doctor, and all the things he had done to save Yukhei’s life, it didn’t taste bitter on his tongue. 

Taeyong and Sicheng let go of him to hug each other and Yukhei used that opportunity to turn around. He looked up the rows behind him, searching the spot where the black-clad wizard had been. He hadn’t said a single word during his hearing, yet Yukhei knew that his presence had been important. 

Yukhei felt disappointment rise in his chest when he saw that his seat was empty, but then he spotted the wizard coming down the rest of the stairs, inclining his head at any of the Wizengamot members that passed him by. 

Seeing him up close, Yukhei found that the other wizard was much younger than he had expected. He was maybe half a decade older than Yukhei, and yet he seemed to command the respect of his elders. At Weishen, only those with extraordinary magical abilities met their masters eye to eye and Yukhei couldn’t help but wonder what made this wizard extraordinary. 

He shrunk back into his seat when the wizard reached the bottom of the steps and looked in his direction. With a rabbiting heart, he watched as the wizard approached him and then felt his eyes widen in surprise when the wizard passed him by without so much as a single glance. He went straight for the doctor instead. 

Taeyong met him halfway, rising from his seat and Yukhei thought that he’d never seen the doctor smile quite as bright as he did when the wizard took his hand, pressing a kiss to Taeyong’s knuckles before he lowered his head to speak directly into his ear, “Are you happy?” 

Yukhei felt his eyes go wide. He hadn’t known that the doctor had someone, but thinking of the bracelets the two wizards shared, Yukhei should have realised sooner. Tokens like that weren’t easily given. 

He quickly averted his gaze to the ground. With Sicheng having gone to talk to some of the Wizengamot members, he felt like he was intruding on the moment. He fiddled with the hem of his sleeve. The fabric was nice, much nicer than his scratchy hospital robes, and Yukhei hoped that the doctor would let him keep it. 

He looked up when Taeyong called his name. He was pulling the wizard over to Yukhei by their joint hands, an excited smile on his face. Yukhei made sure to stand up, but even if he was only a couple of centimetres smaller than the doctor’s wizard, he still felt small as amber eyes perused him. 

“Lucas, I’d like to introduce you to someone,” Taeyong said. “This is my fiancé.”

Yukhei swallowed when the dark-clad wizard offered him his hand. 

“Hello, Lucas.” The wizard’s voice was low and winding, like the snake both him and the doctor wore around their wrists. “You can call me Johnny.” 

“I’m Lucas,” Yukhei said. Johnny obviously knew that already, but it was one of the few things he knew how to say. He wanted the other wizard to know that he had an interest in talking to him. 

“It’s lovely to finally meet you,” Johnny reassured him, squeezing his hand before letting go. “Taeyong has told me so much about you.” 

The doctor in question grabbed onto Johnny’s hand before it could disappear into the folds of his robes again and Johnny used it to pull Taeyong closer, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. It made Taeyong wrinkle his nose at him, but there was fondness shining through his frown. His movements were gentle when he used his free hand to tug a strand of Johnny’s hair behind his ear in return. 

Yukhei watched their interaction with longing. Before his accident, Yukhei had revelled in the attention of others, craved human contact where it was offered to him. Now it was difficult to find someone who was willing to do so much as look him in the eye. 

It was a saddening thought, so he willed himself not to hold onto it. 

“Let me get Jaehyun and then we can leave,” Johnny told Taeyong before turning to leave them. 

Yukhei watched in fascination as the tall wizard weaved through the crowd of purple robes with ease. It seemed to be a practiced motion for him and Yukhei found himself envious. He didn’t mind being around masses of people, but if they didn’t make an effort to step out of his way, there was a great chance that he would step on somebody’s toes. Yukhei didn’t move like water. He didn’t wind with ease like a snake. 

He looked down when he felt a hand on his arm. 

“Ready to go?” Taeyong asked him. 

Yukhei nodded. “I’m alive.” 

It was another word he had learnt early on. From barely being alive to finally being allowed to remain so, he had fought a lot during the past months to say this. If anyone understood that, it was the doctor. Yukhei wished that he would’ve had words to tell him how grateful he was. 

Taeyong seemed to understand nonetheless. He pulled Yukhei into a tight hug and even the disdainful looks he could feel burn into his back could not keep Yukhei from reciprocating the hug with all his might. 

“Things are going to get better now,” Taeyong promised into his shoulder, the highest point he reached. “You’re going to have the best life we can give you.” 

“Where…will I go?” It was not a question he had even been able to entertain until today. But with his asylum request granted, he had to think about where he would stay, now that he was allowed to. 

Taeyong pulled away from their embrace. “Tonight we’re going back to the hospital. There’s still a mountain of paperwork waiting until I get to officially discharge you, but tomorrow—” 

They both turned around at the sound of laughter. Yukhei saw Johnny coming towards them, his arm slung around the shoulders of the purple-robed wizard that had voted for Yukhei first. Deep dimples dug into the latter’s face as he tried to fend of the fingers Johnny was repeatedly poking into his side. It seemed to bring Johnny great joy breaking apart the stoic expression on the other wizard’s face. Sicheng was trailing behind them, watching their antics with an expression that lay somewhere between fond and long-suffering. 

Yukhei suppressed the urge to laugh when he saw that it perfectly mirrored the expression on Taeyong’s face. 

He smiled when he looked at Yukhei. “Today, I have to take you back to the hospital, but tomorrow I’m going to bring you to the best place in the world.”

*

The wizard with the feathers braided into his hair offered him a piece of crystallised pineapple. 

Yukhei felt his cheeks bulge out from the amount of candies he had already shoved into his mouth, but he didn’t have the words to decline the wizard’s offer in a polite manner and so he was stuck pushing half of the sweet mass in his mouth to his other cheek before accepting the wizard’s offer with a sticky smile. 

The wizard winked at him before tuning back into the conversation he was having with Taeyong. Headmaster Heechul was his name, Yukhei recalled from their earlier introduction. Without Sicheng’s translation spell, Yukhei had gotten lost as to what they were saying about five minutes into the conversation, but it wasn’t hard to guess. The weight of Taeyong’s hand on his shoulder was comforting as he watched himself being talked about. 

Their voices were kind though, their gazes only ever worried _for_ him when they looked at him. Yukhei knew that the doctor would only ever do what he thought was best for him, believed it with his entire being. If Taeyong hadn’t believed that his place was the right one for Yukhei to be, then they wouldn’t be here. 

Here, Yukhei thought as he looked around the room, his eyes trailing over the abundance of heavy furniture around him, the shelves on the walls that held all kinds of trinkets and the moving paintings in between, here was where he would find his luck. 

He wasn’t sure yet as to how, but he had faith. Faith in the doctor, and faith in himself, too. Once upon a time, he had been the first son of Weishen. He would never be that great again, but he could be good. He could live well. _You’re going to have the best life we can give you,_ the doctor had said. 

Yukhei believed him. 

He rubbed his hand over the front of his new robes. They were plain black and one of several sets that the doctor had bought for him, along with a trunk, books Yukhei couldn’t read and a new wand. Yukhei smiled as he thought back to the quirky old men who had pressed the rowan wood into his hand, remembered the feeling of being chosen again, that irreproducible feeling of warmth and ownership as his fingers had closed around _his_ wand. 

Yukhei had liked the shopping alley the doctor had taken him to that morning. He had been able to see the sky as they walked from shop to shop. Inside this room that the green fire had spit them into, there were only ceilings of stone and stained glass windows that cast shadows in a multitude of colours, none of which came close to being as bright as daylight. 

“Lucas.” 

Yukhei jolted when he heard the doctor called his name, hastily pushed himself to his feet when he noticed that the other two wizards where standing. It caused him to bang his knee against the edge of the table, but he managed to swallow the pain as Taeyong motioned him to follow them. 

He hobbled over as fast as he could and followed the other two wizards into a corner of the room. It was empty safe for a single, wooden high stool. Yukhei looked at the doctor for reassurance before he took a seat. 

He wasn’t sure what to expect as the other two wizards perused him, maybe an examination, maybe a curse to alleviate the one already in his blood, but what he hadn’t expected was a stinky, old hat that was unceremoniously dropped onto his head. The large brim folded over his eyes, cast his world in darkness. 

Yukhei was about to push the hat off his hat, willing to ask the doctor with the little words he had to ask what was going on, when a small voice piped up in his head. 

_Interesting,_ the voice said and it took Yukhei entirely too long to realise that it was the hat that was speaking. _It’s been a long time since I’ve been worn by someone like you._

“Someone like me?” Yukhei frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Is it because I’m a foreigner? Or because I’m a lycanthrope?” 

_Neither of those, boy. No_. The hat hummed. _I see a lot of ambition in you, Wong Yukhei, courage too. You ran into that forest without second thought, didn’t you? Tell me, do you regret it?_

Yukhei felt his breath catch in his throat.

“No." It was the truth. 

_Interesting,_ the hat said once again. _You do not wish to turn back time?_

“It wouldn’t change anything.” He withstood the urge to knock the hat off his head. “There is only the future I can look forward to.” 

_What if it had been your brother instead of you? Wouldn’t that be more just?_

“No.” The thought alone was too terrible to stomach. It made him feel nauseous. “I’d rather it be me a hundred times over than him.” 

_Are you sure?_

“It will never be fair,” Yukhei dug his nails into the flesh of his thighs, “but this is the fairest I can make it.” 

_I see._ For some reason the hat sounded satisfied, as if Yukhei had told him what he had wanted to hear. Yukhei doubted that it was true, but he was glad when the sorting hat’s voice suddenly rang in his ears as well as in his mind and then the hat was lifted from his head. 

He blinked against the sudden light to find Taeyong beaming at him while Headmaster Heechul had raised his wand to point it at Yukhei’s chest. Yukhei felt it when the spell hit his chest, but unlike he had expected, there was no pain that followed. 

Confused, Yukhei looked down at himself to find that nothing had changed about him except for his robes. Where the inner linings had been plain black before, they were a rich yellow now and when he looked down at his chest, he found an embroidered crest above his heart. Yukhei was unfamiliar with the mammal it showed, but he thought that it looked cute. It reminded him of his brother, with its large, dark eyes and curiously tilted head. 

When he looked back up, the headmaster had gone and Yukhei was alone with Taeyong. He was grateful when the doctor pulled him into a hug. Yukhei understood that this was goodbye. 

He was even more grateful when the doctor’s words were easy enough for him to understand, “You’re going to do great here, Lucas. Hogwarts will become your home in no time.” 

“Thank you,” Yukhei retched past the lump in his throat. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he didn’t have the words, so he just held onto Taeyong as long as he was allowed to. 

He was still clinging to the doctor when the door of the room opened and Headmaster Heechul reentered. He was followed by a boy wearing the same yellow and black robes as Yukhei. The boy was listening diligently as Headmaster Heechul spoke, not paying attention to much else at the moment. Yukhei was grateful when it gave him a chance to stare. 

The other boy seemed to be around the same age as Yukhei, his hair as silver as the mountains he came from. And then, when the boy throw his head back in laughter and his fine features scrunched up with the force of it, Yukhei thought that he was maybe the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. 

He was still awestruck when the attention of the room turned towards him. The boy was looking at him now, his expression gentle as he nodded along with what Headmaster Heechul was saying.

The room fell silent. 

Yukhei only realised belatedly that he was supposed to introduce himself. 

“Lucas,” he was quick to amend his mistake. Hesitantly, he reached out his hand like Taeyong had taught him to do. 

He was indescribably grateful when the other boy took his hand. It also told him that he didn’t know of Yukhei’s affliction. Yukhei was grateful for it. He couldn’t have borne it if the other boy had looked at him with disgust, recoiled from his touch. 

"Lucas," the silver-haired boy repeated and for the first time Yukhei thought his new name sounded like hope.

Like maybe he could be more in this castle than the boy with the beast inside.

"It's lovely to meet you, Lucas. I'm Jungwoo.” 

_Jungwoo,_ Yukhei repeated in his head, over and over again until he was sure he wouldn’t forget. Jungwoo’s name was a gift and he would treasure it. 

“Lucas here is our October transfer. He’s a Hufflepuff and a sixth-year, just like you, so I thought it would be sensible to have you show him the ropes.” 

Jungwoo nodded at the headmaster’s words and Yukhei felt hope consume him when the other boy smiled at him. “You're transferring in a little late into the year, but that's okay. We'll make you feel right at home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it, the first chapter of TCOA! I hope with all my heart that you enjoyed it and I'm always grateful for any kind of feedback <3  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [the official tcoa playlist](http://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xg1d0bimn9HL7eeybm71I?si=8hrQt7gqScWhJPgbo16plw)


	2. The Kind, The Cunning And The Brave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays and a very happy new year! The turn of the decade is the perfect time for new mindsets, new resolutions and, I think, for a certain werewolf boy to find some new friends.

Jungwoo grasped onto his arm the moment they had left Headmaster Heechul’s office, coaxing Yukhei to follow him with a sweet smile. Every cell of Yukhei’s body sang with the curl of Jungwoo’s fingers around his wrist and he tried hard not to let the other boy’s touch trip him up.

It would have been embarrassing and he didn’t want to interrupt Jungwoo where the other boy was talking animatedly by his side, gesturing at the stone walls surrounding them, the lithic floors that echoed every of their footsteps.

Yukhei could admit that it all looked interesting, the moving paintings on the walls and the tall suits of armour that guarded every alcove they passed, but they all paled in comparison to Jungwoo’s face, the gleam of excitement in his eyes as he talked and laughed and kept holding Yukhei’s hand.

Yukhei hadn’t seen the castle from the outside when they had arrived, but judging by how long they had been walking, the structure had to be massive, so many floors that he had already lost his sense of direction.

They reached a set of moving stairs and Yukhei was only forewarned by Jungwoo skipping before he put his foot onto a step that disappeared a breath later. Pain shot up his thigh at the sudden strain of having to stretch a step farther than he had planned, but Yukhei bit down on it, didn’t let the smile on his face falter when he felt Jungwoo’s grip on his arm tighten. 

Jungwoo considerably slowed their pace after that, taking his time in showing Yukhei the pattern in which the stairs would try to trick him. Yukhei figured it out quickly, feeling himself walk a little taller at the pride in Jungwoo’s eyes once they had made it to the bottom.

He struggled to understand Jungwoo, but he could still prove to Jungwoo that he wasn’t stupid.

He felt it when they reached the ground floor, the hairs at the back of his neck rising when Jungwoo lead him towards another set of stairs. His skin began to crawl the moment they were below the earth. The other didn't like it.

It left Yukhei squirming, but he couldn't tell Jungwoo that. No one at the school knew about his affliction, Sicheng had told him as much over dinner at the pub Johnny had taken them to. 

"It's your decision," Sicheng had said, shuffling through the deck in his hands.

The lawyer had been playing cards with Jaehyun while the doctor and Johnny had gone to slow dance in front of the fireplace. Yukhei had watched it all, just basking in the feeling of being allowed to be among people again, picking through the remnants of the small feast Johnny had ordered to their table. 

"You can tell people of course, but you've also seen how the people here think about your affliction. We don't kill your kind, but that doesn't mean that the other students would take to it kindly if they knew your secret."

"I don't want to tell anyone," Yukhei had traced the scrapes on the table left by generations of patrons dragging their tankards across the wood. "I don't want anyone to hate me." 

"They will love you." 

Yukhei had been surprised by how easy the words had come over Sicheng's lips. 

"How do you know that?" 

Sicheng had smiled then, laying down a card from his deck. The gesture had made Jaehyun groan, throwing his cards on the table. He had placed a golden coin on top of them before leaving for the bar. 

"I was like you once." 

Yukhei's eyes had nearly bugged out of his head. "A werewolf?" 

"No," Sicheng had laughed. "I mean that I was a foreigner. I was like you in the sense that I was foreigner and alone and coming into school a month too late." 

"Oh," Yukhei had shifted back on his seat. "How did you become," his chest had hurt, "not that?" 

"Yuta found me." Something had taken over Sicheng's face then, something calm and quiet and so all-encompassing that Yukhei had felt the need to look away. His chest had hurt with longing. "He gave me a place to belong and there I learned. Not just the language. Hogwarts can be your home, if you let it be. You just have to let yourself be found. Remember that." 

Yukhei remembered it now as he followed Jungwoo down the flat steps that lead them below the earth. He wondered whether Jungwoo had found him. Technically, Taeyong and the headmaster had brought them together, but maybe it could count.

Maybe Jungwoo would want to be somebody that Yukhei belonged to. 

They stairway widened into a broad stone basement corridor. The walls hung full of food-themed paintings and the sight alone was enough to make Yukhei’s mouth water. The doctor had taken him for lunch after their shopping spree, but that had been several hours ago. The sun had fallen since then.

Jungwoo’s fingers danced over the inside of his wrist, effectively catching Yukhei’s attention as the other boy pulled him into a nook that lay hidden behind a stack of barrels. Jungwoo let go of him and Yukhei tried hard not to mourn the loss of his touch too much.

“Like this,” Jungwoo said, searching Yukhei’s eyes until Yukhei had signalled him that he had understood.

Jungwoo tapped against the barrel in the middle of the second row. It was a distinct rhythm and Yukhei tapped it against his thigh to remember.

The lid of the barrel swung open to reveal a passageway. Yukhei stepped forward without hesitation when Jungwoo motioned for him to go first.

The room behind the passageway was spacious, low-ceilinged in comparison to the high walls of the rest of the castle. Stepping further into the room, Yukhei instinctively ducked his head as to not brush against any of the copper-bottomed plant holders dangling from the ceiling. He laughed when their green tendrils reached out to touch his hair. Where the room lacked in height, it stretched far, housing clusters of thick, plushy armchairs and sturdy wooden tables that were laden with papers and interspersed bowls of candy. 

There were other students milling about, though not many of them and Yukhei was thankful when none of them were fazed by his appearance. Those that did look at him with interest averted their eyes as soon as they saw Jungwoo come in after him. Despite them being below the earth, the room was bright with the yellow hangings on the wall and the light of the huge mantelpiece at the far end of the room.

Above it, Yukhei spotted a wall hanging displaying the same black and yellow crest stitched onto the front of his robes and it made Yukhei’s chest fill with pride. With whatever trial the talking hat had put him through, he had earned his spot in this room. This was where he could belong. Bearing the same crest as him, Jungwoo belonged here and Yukhei wanted to, too. 

Jungwoo plucked a tendril of ivy from his shoulder, making a disapproving noise at the plant that quickly slithered back into its pot. Yukhei followed him past the sofas over to the curved, western wall that was lined with round, wooden doors.

“Remember this,” Jungwoo told him, tapping against the brazen number on the honey-coloured wood.

Yukhei nodded dutifully, committing the shape of the number to memory before Jungwoo pushed the door open and they crawled through the circular opening.

The dormitory was just as cosy as the common room. Yukhei’s eyes trailed over the four-poster beds lining the walls, the trunks in front and the bedside tables filled with copper lamps and knick-knacks before his eyes were drawn to the circular windows in between. Yukhei took a step further into the room, his wrist falling from Jungwoo’s grip as he was drawn in by the moonlight falling through.

He could feel it the moment the silver light hit his skin, making his blood sing while the other in him stilled. Yukhei peered past the grass lining the bottom curve of the window, past the lands beyond and up at the moon that bathed him in silver. The moon was waxing. Soon, it would be full. 

He nearly jumped when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. He hoped that there was no moonlight left in his eyes when he turned around to meet Jungwoo’s gaze.

The other boy smiled at him and raised his hand to point at one of the four-poster beds by the door.

“This one’s yours,” he said and Yukhei felt his heart skip a beat.

He bridged the distance with two long strides, Jungwoo laughing as he followed him.

The mattress gave under Yukhei when he sat down and Yukhei let his hands roam over the linen, savouring the feeling of the fabric against his skin. It had been months since he’d had a real bed. His cot in the quarantine room hadn’t really deserved the title.

“Mine?” he asked, just to make sure.

“Yes,” Jungwoo laughed. It was a gentle sound. He pointed to the bed next over, the one closest to the door, “See? You’re right next to me.”

Yukhei tried not to show how much he liked that. 

“And, look, Taeyong made sure all your stuff is already in your trunk too!”

Yukhei’s eyes widened as Jungwoo popped open the lid of the chest standing at the foot end of his bed and indeed, there were all the things the doctor had bought for him earlier that day, the clothes and books and all the magical instruments he’d have to use in his classes. There weren’t any personal belongings in the pile. Yukhei hoped that Jungwoo wouldn’t notice.

He looked around the room, noticing the empty, rumpled state of the other beds.

“Others?” he asked.

Jungwoo looked around the room as if it was his first time noticing that they were alone before he smiled. “Dinner,” he explained and patted his stomach. “Are you hungry?”

Yukhei bit his lip before he nodded. His stomach had been silently rumbling ever since they had passed the food-themed paintings outside the basement, but he hadn’t wanted to tell Jungwoo. The other boy was so excited to show him around, he hadn’t wanted to interrupt him. Just in that moment, his stomach decided to betray him and rumbled loudly enough for both of them to hear.

Jungwoo laughed, reaching out his hands. “Let’s go, then!”

Yukhei was eager to let Jungwoo help him to his feet, but then the force with which Jungwoo pulled him up caused them both to stumble. Yukhei blinked when, suddenly, he was in Jungwoo’s space, their faces close enough that their noses almost touched. He could see Jungwoo’s breath hitch, the warmth of it hitting Yukhei in the face when Jungwoo puffed out a surprised “Oh.”

Their sudden proximity left Yukhei breathless, his heart stuttering as his mouth opened to say something. What, he didn’t know himself.

He was saved when the door to the dormitory opened and a handful of boys walked in. Their chatter stopped the moment they spotted him and Jungwoo standing there. Yukhei felt heat rise to his cheeks when their eyes grew progressively wider as their gazes flicked from his face to the non-existent space between him and Jungwoo, down to their intertwined hands.

“Jungwoo,” one of them said. His voice was much deeper than Yukhei had expected. “Who’s this?”

Yukhei didn’t know whether he wanted to hide himself behind Jungwoo’s back or take a step forward. At Weishen, reverence had made him walk tall, but here he didn’t know how to carry himself now that he was not Wong Yukhei anymore.

“This is Lucas,” Jungwoo’s answer came so easily it made Yukhei breathe easier as well.

He may not have been Wong Yukhei anymore, but he was not no one. He was Lucas. Being known to someone like Jungwoo felt enough in itself.

“I’m Lucas,” he repeated, willing himself to be confident.

The other boys introduced themselves one by one and Yukhei tried hard to remember their names.

“Jeno didn’t say we’d be getting a new roommate,” the one with the deep voice, Felix, said.

“Jeno didn’t know.” Jungwoo waved him off easily. “Headmaster Heechul got me right when he arrived.”

“Sorry, I’m not...” Yukhei gestured to the walls around them.

“Lucas is not from here,” Jungwoo filled in for him. “He’s our October transfer.”

Yukhei nodded, trying his best to make his smile look nonchalant. To his relief, the other boys looked at him with kindness in their eyes.

“Welcome to Hufflepuff, Lucas,” the one named Hyunjin said. “Jungwoo, did you already show him around? Does he need anything?”

“We’re all good.”

The other Hufflepuffs looked like they had more questions, but something in Jungwoo’s tone seemed to make them refrain from asking any more.

Jungwoo said some more, too fast for Yukhei to understand, but it made the others nod their heads before they left to flop down on their respective beds. Yukhei could feel their curious glances on his back as he followed Jungwoo out of the door. It was something he was slowly growing used to.

The common room was a lot more lively than it had been when they had first come through. The tables were now bustling with students pouring over books and papers, the plants dangling above them dancing along to the cacophony of rustling parchment and the laughter of the students that had gathered on the sofas. The atmosphere was so homey it made Yukhei’s chest ache. He tried to focus on the rumbling of his stomach instead.

Hunger was something he could do something against.

Jungwoo lead him back the same way they had come, out of the basement and up the corridor until they had made it to the stairs. There was a stream of students coming down the steps, causing Yukhei to keep his gaze on the back of Jungwoo’s head as they squeezed their way past. Yukhei could feel his muscles lose most of their tension as soon as they had made it to the ground floor and the sensation of being surrounded by earth vanished. 

He felt a spark of excitement when Jungwoo pulled him towards the large, open doors that lead into the dining hall.

“This is the Great Hall,” the silver-haired boy explained. “This is where we eat.”

“Eat,” Yukhei repeated excitedly.

He followed Jungwoo over to the outer left of the four long, wooden tables. He felt that familiar sense of belonging again when he saw that the few students left sitting there were all wearing the same black and yellow robes as him.

At the far end of the hall, he could see Headmaster Heechul sit at the raised, perpendicular table that was occupied by what Yukhei assumed to be the other teachers. He was surprised when Headmaster Heechul noticed him looking. The older wizard lifted his tankard in a silent toast and Yukhei waved back.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo caught his attention and Yukhei realised belatedly that they had come to a halt.

“Yes?”

Jungwoo smiled at him before he gestured for them to sit. Yukhei willed himself not to blush as he did so. He didn’t want Jungwoo to think he wasn’t paying attention.

The table in front of them was piled with dishes of all kinds and sizes and Yukhei felt his mouth water as he grabbed for the first thing in his reach. He’d never been a picky eater, but months of hospital food had left him with a deep-rooted hunger for anything that didn’t come in sludge form.

He had just shoved an entire bread roll, soft and savory, into his mouth when he noticed the boy sitting opposite of him looking at him.

Yukhei smiled instinctively, clasping a hand over his mouth when he realised he was still chewing.

It made the boy laugh, his eyes shaping into crescent moons with the force of it. Feeling his cheeks burn, Yukhei took the hand the other boy extended over the table.

“Hello.” The other boy’s voice was gentle, if different from the way Jungwoo spoke. Where Jungwoo’s voice was enrapturing, this boy’s voice offered comfort. “I’m Jeno Lee. Jungwoo just told me you’re our new arrival.”

Squeezing the other boy’s hand, Yukhei forced the half-chewed bread in his mouth down his oesophagus. “Lucas,” he managed to introduce himself.

Jeno nodded, clearly committing the name to memory.

“Jeno,” the boy next to Jeno whined out a moment later, clearly dissatisfied with having lost the other’s attention.

He was not sharing the same robes as them. The crest on his chest was silver and green instead of black and yellow, the lining of his robes matching the crest’s emerald colouring. Instead of the cute mammal Yukhei had grown fond of, the other’s crest showed a winding snake, baring its fangs at anyone who dared to look it in the eye.

“You’re snake,” Yukhei said before his brain could catch up with his mouth. Once it did, he clasped a hand over his mouth.

He expected the other boy to curse at him, maybe pull his wand. Instead, there was a flash of excitement in the other boy’s eyes as he tilted his head towards him. “You’re new.”

He leaned over the table, so far that Jeno had to pull him back by the hood of his robes.

“Jaemin,” he chastised, catching the other boy’s tie before it could land in the sauce on his plate.

Jaemin let himself be guided back into his seat, but his eyes never stopped roaming over Yukhei’s form. Whatever he saw seemed to please him, but Yukhei found no favour in his eyes when he turned towards Jungwoo. 

“Who’s your friend, Woo?”

“This is Lucas.” Yukhei was surprised to find Jungwoo’s voice wasn’t as sweet as it had been before, had become solid where it had been malleable. The way Jaemin’s eyes widened told Yukhei that he wasn’t the only one who had noticed the subtle change. “He just transferred in.”

“I’m Lucas,” Yukhei tried to mend whatever had made the air between them become charged. 

Jaemin’s gaze only flickered over to him for a split second before he returned to holding Jungwoo’s gaze. Slowly, Jaemin raised his arm to cover Jeno’s chest.

It was Jeno who broke the tense atmosphere by huffing. He grabbed onto the arm Jaemin had draped over his chest and pushed it down. Then he reached over the table to take Yukhei’s hand once more, lightly squeezing it.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Lucas.”

Yukhei wanted to tell him how much he appreciated his welcome, how thankful he was, but he didn’t have the words so he looked at Jungwoo for help. 

“Lucas doesn’t speak our language well.” The warmth returned to Jungwoo’s gaze as he looked at Yukhei and Yukhei felt the tight furl in his stomach uncurl. “He’s like Renjun used to be.”

Those words didn’t make sense to Yukhei, but Jeno seemed to understand. He perked up as he began to talk again and Yukhei had meant to listen, but the unnerving smile Jaemin was directing at him made it near impossible to focus on the words that left Jeno’s mouth. He met Jaemin’s gaze for only a second, causing a brilliant smile to creep onto the other’s face.

Before Yukhei could put his foot into his mouth again, he decided to fill it with food instead. The weight of Jungwoo’s hand on his back reassured that all was well, at least for the moment.

Yukhei ate until his stomach hurt and then a little more, unsure when he would get the next chance to stuff himself like this. By the time he had cleared his plate and the last remnants of food had disappeared from the golden dishes, they were among the last ones to leave the Great Hall.

He was surprised when, outside the doors, Jungwoo lead him in the opposite direction of where they had come from. He tugged on Jungwoo’s sleeve, hoping that maybe if he was quiet about it, Jaemin walking in front of them wouldn’t notice.

Jungwoo blinked at him questioningly, the easy smile on his lips soothing Yukhei’s nerves right away.

“Why not follow Jeno?” he asked quietly, pointing at Jeno’s retreating back. The other boy was going back to the Hufflepuff basement and Yukhei would’ve much rather followed him than Jaemin.

Jungwoo patted his hand in reassurance. “Don’t worry. You’re going to meet some friends of mine. They can help.”

_ Help. _ The word made Yukhei nervous. At the hospital, help was the doctor. Where he came from, help was a death spell to his chest to stop him from infecting anyone else with his werewolfry. Yukhei didn’t know where on the spectrum the people inside this castle fell.

But Jungwoo didn’t know about him, Yukhei forced himself to remember that.

“Okay.” He forced himself to smile and Jungwoo beamed, his laugh clear as silver as he took Yukhei’s hand.

Yukhei focussed on Jungwoo’s fingers that had interlocked with his own as Jaemin lead them down sleek, tiled stairs, farther below the earth than the Hufflepuff basement had been. It unsettled the other in him much like Yukhei had expected, but he managed to keep his strides steady until they reached the bottom of the stairs. They stopped short after only a couple of metres into the corridor.

Jaemin turned around to face them, his eyes boring into Yukhei’s and Yukhei found that where there had been hostility before, there was nothing but pride now.

“Welcome to the Slytherin Dungeon.” Jaemin smiled at him before he cupped his mouth and whispered against the wall.

The tiles came alive, shifting until they had melted away to reveal a passageway. Jaemin slunk through first. Yukhei had just plucked up the courage to follow him when he felt a gentle hand press against his cheek.

Jungwoo turned his head so they were eye to eye, his mouth quirking into a smile. “Don’t worry, Lucas. I’m right here with you.”

Yukhei blinked, stared and stared at Jungwoo and wondered how someone like him could exist.

It was impossible not to smile back and so he did. “Okay.”

Jungwoo seemed to understand all that he wanted to say with that one word. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the force of his smile and then he was letting go, but not letting go where their fingers were still interlocked between them and that was all it took for Yukhei to follow him through the passageway.

Jaemin was waiting for them right at the other end, an easy smile on his lips. He seemed almost giddy as he turned to lead them across the sprawling room. Where the Hufflepuff common room had been bright and homey, this common room was dark and ornate, cast in the faint glow of the silver lanterns on the walls.

Yukhei felt their presence draw attention, if it was a silent kind, pensive where the Hufflepuffs had been curious, more accessing than questioning. He willed himself not to be intimidated. Jungwoo didn’t seem bothered and so Yukhei shouldn’t be either.

Yukhei had been so distracted by their lavish surroundings that he almost didn’t realise they had come to a halt until Jungwoo squeezed his hand.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo caught his attention before directing his attention forward, “these are my friends.”

There were five of them, sprawled out on the sofas closest to the fireplace. On the sofa to Yukhei’s right, two of them sat with their legs crossed, a deck of cards and a small mountain of candy between them. The taller of them whined when his friend let out a triumphant giggle and, plucking the taller’ cards right from his fingers, moved the mountain closer to his knee.

“Chenle and Jisung,” Jungwoo pointed at the winner of the game first before gesturing at the taller, “but we call them the twins.”

The last word made both Chenle and Jisung look up, their heads moving in such perfect synchronicity that Yukhei could imagine what had earned them their moniker. While Chenle only stared curiously, Jisung outright flinched, looking startled by the sudden appearance of Yukhei in his periphery.

It made Chenle frown, which in turn caused one of the others to call out to him. Yukhei only realised after the fact that the boy from the other sofa had spoken in Chinese.

_ “Le, everything all right?” _

_ “Everything is fine,” _ Chenle answered, his eyes not leaving Jisung’s face until the other boy smiled at him.

Yukhei stared at the boy who had spoken first. He was sitting at the very end of his sofa, his hand resting on the shin thrown over his lap. His fox-like features reminded Yukhei of someone else, someone he had known before he had found his end on cold, hard ground. Someone who had been the sky, had been a thousand lessons huddled together, had been the one to take over when—Yukhei pressed his eyes shut, willed himself to stay in the here and now. Wong Yukhei was dead and so were his friendships.

A cluster of fireworks going off right in front of his face pulled Yukhei back into the here and now rather violently. Swatting at the sparklers, he blinked rapidly as to blink the iridescent spots out of his vision.

“Yangyang!” he could hear Jungwoo scold. “Why did you do that?!”

“He wasn’t paying attention.” The boy in question, Yangyang, only shrugged, twirling his wand with one hand while the other was steadily carding through the hair of the boy that had bedded his head in his lap. “If you have to bring another one of your play-things here, at least teach him some manners.” 

“He’s not—his name is Lucas!” Jungwoo hissed. “He’s different.”

“Oh, really?” Yangyang didn’t sound very impressed. It looked like he had wanted to say more, but he fell silent when the boy below him stirred.

There was a moment where the entire group seemed to hold their breath and then the boy was pulling himself upright where he had been sprawled out along the length of the sofa, his friends’ hands falling from his body in the process. He rolled his neck before he slowly opened his eyes and Yukhei would’ve felt bad about having woken him up, but he could tell by the lack of haziness in the boy’s eyes that he hadn’t been sleeping at all.

His gaze slid over Yukhei’s form before he focussed on Jungwoo. “Different how?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yukhei could see Chenle unwrap one of the suckers from his pile of candy and push it into his mouth.

“Lucas is new, Donghyuck. He just transferred in. Headmaster Heechul asked me to show him around.”

Donghyuck pushed himself off the sofa while Jungwoo spoke. His hands were beringed with silver, matching the abundance of silver pierced through his ears and on anyone else, Yukhei might have thought that it would’ve looked ostentatious. For Donghyuck it seemed to be fitting. He wore enough silver to forge a crown.

“Interesting.”

On his way over to them, Donghyuck snatched the wand from Yangyang’s hands, pointing the end of it at its owner in a manner that reminded Yukhei of the masters at Weishen whenever they had caught one of their students slacking off. He might have laughed at the way Yangyang shrunk under his friend’s stern gaze before that very same gaze was directed at him a moment later.

“Where do you come from, Lucas?”

“Taeyong brought him in.”

Something about the doctor’s name made Donghyuck still. In comparison to the jewellery on his hands and in his ears, the wooden pendant hanging from Donghyuck’s necklace looked rather plain. It was a chess token, Yukhei realised as Donghyuck pressed the pendant against his lips.

Then, a brilliant smile pulled his lips apart. “Okay.”

Yukhei was surprised by how easily Jungwoo reciprocated his smile and then he felt his mouth drop open when he watched Jungwoo reach out and ruffle Donghyuck’s hair. It caused Donghyuck to laugh, his arm snaking over Jungwoo’s shoulder as he pulled Jungwoo with him to his sofa.

Before Yukhei could feel awkward about being left standing, Jaemin placed a hand on his shoulder. His smile was so genuine it made Yukhei’s heart skip a beat. “Sit with the twins.”

Yukhei followed his direction to find that Chenle and Jisung were already clearing the space between them for him to sit. He nodded, feeling excited at the prospect of sitting next to Chenle especially. The boy in question shot him a bright smile once Yukhei had sat down.

“Hi,” he said.

_ “Hello,” _ Yukhei gave back.

Chenle’s eyes widened.  _ “You speak Chinese?” _

_ “It’s my mother tongue.” _

Chenle’s nose scrunched up with the force of his laughter.  _ “Your accent’s funny. Renjun! Listen!” _

The boy in question looked up from where he had been busy pushing against the arms Jaemin had thrown around his neck. When Jaemin began to whisper into his ear, he elbowed the other boy in the stomach, causing Jaemin boy to slide off of the armrest he’d been perched on with a dramatic wheeze. 

Yukhei couldn’t help but feel a hint of amusement at the self-satisfaction on Renjun’s face while Jaemin writhed at his feet. Renjun took the time to straighten out his robes before he paid attention to Chenle and Yukhei.

_ “Yes?”  _

_ “Lucas speaks like you did when you got here!” _

Renjun’s eyes widened at that. He got up, stepping over Jaemin on his way over.

“Renjun!” Donghyuck called out, his brows furrowed.

Renjun turned around and said something to him that was too fast, and too quiet for Yukhei to understand, but he thought that he heard his name in there somewhere. Whatever Renjun had said made Donghyuck settle back in his seat.

Renjun bridged the last of the distance between them and settled on the arm rest by Jisung’s side, reaching over him to grasp onto Yukhei’s arm. Renjun perused him and Yukhei did his best to meet his eyes without losing himself in the other’s earnest gaze. He thought of brown eyes, yellow eyes, eyes black as the night and—

_ “You must have a lot to say.”  _ It was not what Yukhei had expected Renjun to say.

_ “I-I guess I do. In their language, I can understand some and I can say what the doctor told me, but…” _

_ “…but it’s not the same.” _

Yukhei shook his head.

_ “What would you say if you could talk to them right now?” _

Yukhei looked at Jungwoo, who was already watching him. He didn’t have to think. _ “I would want to say thank you.” _

His answer caused Renjun smile.  _ “One day, you will be able to. I will teach you. Chenle, too. We’re going to help you so you will learn.” _

_ You will learn. _ It was the same thing Sicheng had told him.  _ Hogwarts can be your home, if you let it be. _

Yukhei felt his heart seize. _ “They said you were like me once.” _

Renjun nodded. _ “Me and my brother both.” _

_ “Was it hard?” _

Renjun thought about his answer before he spoke. _ “Yes and no. More no. I found friends quickly and I always had Sicheng by my side.” _

_ “Your brother is Sicheng?” _

Yukhei’s eyes widened at the revelation, but looking at Renjun he wasn’t surprised. They had the same fine features, the same glint in their eyes that told Yukhei they understood more than they let on.

_ “He is. Have you met him?” _

Yukhei hesitated when he realised he had to be careful.  _ “Just once,”  _ he directed his gaze to his hands as he shrugged,  _ “with Taeyong. He gave me some advice.” _

_ “You should listen to my brother.” _

Yukhei smiled. _ “I’ll try to.” _

They both looked up when Donghyuck called out for them. Yukhei struggled to understand him when he started asking rapid-fire questions, but like Renjun had promised, both he and Chenle translated back and forth. Yukhei tried his best to be helpful, but found quickly that he couldn’t answer most questions, because he didn’t know the answer himself. 

_ “I’m sorry, you have to tell him I don’t know my schedule yet.” _

A tiny furrow appeared between Renjun’s brows as he relayed Yukhei’s answer back to Donghyuck. Yukhei looked to his side when he felt a hand pat his knee.

_ “Don’t worry,” _ Chenle told him, smiling around the sucker in his mouth.  _ “You’ll get it tomorrow and then you can tell us.” _

_ “I wonder…why do you want to know? You’re not in my year, right?” _

_ “Why do we want to know?” _ This time, Chenle laughed. Below the mirth, there was sincerity in his eyes when he popped his sucker out of his mouth and looked Yukhei in the eyes. His voice was unexpectedly soft when he spoke,  _ “We’re your friends now, Lucas. That’s why you are here.” _

Chenle gestured with his sucker to encompass them all and Yukhei found that the others were all looking at him. For the first time, it didn’t scare him.  _ Friends, _ he thought.  _ You just have to let yourself be found. _

_ “Okay.”  _ He met Jungwoo’s eyes, glittering in the firelight. “Okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the snake pit, Yukhei. You'll find great friends, here.  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [the official tcoa playlist](http://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xg1d0bimn9HL7eeybm71I?si=8hrQt7gqScWhJPgbo16plw)


	3. Coup De Foudre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo! It's been some time since the last update because I had finals in between, but now all my exams are over and I have a sweet two and a half months off until uni starts back up. This means this fic is now my main project (as I've been waiting for it to be since I started) and I'm super excited. I hope you will like this chapter, she's a long one to make up for the wait. Enjoy!!

The next morning, Yukhei woke up before the sunrise. His sheets were wonderfully soft, the quilt Jungwoo had given him kept him warm and toasty and Yukhei might have fallen asleep again, if he hadn’t been disturbed by the sound of rustling fabric.

Yukhei peeked out of the curtains surrounding his four-poster bed to find the yellow curtains of Jungwoo’s bed drawn. Jungwoo himself was sitting on the edge of his mattress, fully dressed and lacing up his boots.

Yukhei instinctively sat up in his bed, pushing his curtain aside. He was scared that he might’ve overslept. “Leave?”

Jungwoo looked up at the sound of his voice, surprise clouding his features before they softened into a gentle smile. Yukhei willed himself not to be distracted by the sight. He had to focus on the words that came out of Jungwoo’s mouth.

“Good morning, Lucas. Did you sleep well?”

Yukhei was familiar with the question. Taeyong had asked him the same every morning when he had come to check up on him. As with the doctor, Yukhei nodded quickly. He was haunted in his sleep, but most mornings he was fortunate enough not to remember.

“I’m glad to hear that. You can go back to sleep.” Jungwoo’s voice was so sweet that Yukhei found it easy to comply, sinking back into his sheets. He pulled his quilt up to his chin, smiling up at Jungwoo.

Jungwoo laughed softly, stifling the sound behind his hand in order not to wake the others. For a moment, Yukhei hoped that Jungwoo would bridge the distance between them, maybe take his hand or touch his hair, but Jungwoo was already turning away.

He was gone before Yukhei had been able to string together the words to ask where he was going and Yukhei willed himself not to feel too glum at the sight of Jungwoo’s empty bed, the unsolicited feeling of being left behind. Jungwoo was his own person and Yukhei couldn’t lay a claim to every single minute of his day.

Things were just better with Jungwoo.

Stretching his muscles below his blanket and wriggling his toes, Yukhei willed himself to stop moping. He could brave one morning on his own and he still had his other dormmates to turn to for help. Still, a small part of him held out hope that Jungwoo would return soon.

He dozed until he heard the others get up, following Hyunjin into the bathroom. As he stood under the shower, he imagined endless skies and silver-tipped mountains, the feeling of soaring so high that the wood of his broom threatened to freeze under his fingers. Turning the handle of the shower until he was pelted by cold water, he could almost imagine it.

Once he had scrubbed himself clean, he waited in his cubicle until he heard Hyunjin leave before him. Using his height to peer over the lacquered wood surrounding him, he made sure that he was alone before he hurried over to where he had hung his towel. He made sure to wrap the fabric tightly around his waist before he traipsed back into the dormitory.

Jungwoo still hadn’t come back by the time they left for the Great Hall. Yukhei kept tilting his head while they walked to see if maybe Jungwoo would magically appear in his peripheral vision, but he had no such luck. What he did find were the twins, lingering in the corridor outside of the Hufflepuff basement. Chenle perked up the moment he spotted Yukhei, pulling Jisung along by the hand.

“Lucas!” Chenle let go of Jisung to hug him, slapping his back repeatedly in excitement before letting go. “We were waiting for you and—oh, hi, Felix!”

“Hi, Chenle.”

Felix stopped by them while Hyunjin and their other roommate Beomgyu kept walking. Yukhei didn’t miss the way the other Hufflepuffs regarded Chenle and Jisung. He furrowed his brows. Chenle and Jisung were nice, he couldn’t understand how anyone could’ve ever looked at them with wariness.

Felix was smiling though, shaking the hand Chenle was holding out for him and wishing them a good day before running after his friends. Yukhei looked after him until he felt Jisung and Chenle take one of his sides each.

 _“We’re here to take you to breakfast,”_ Chenle informed him. _“Are you hungry?”_

Yukhei let them guide him down the corridor, ignoring the silent growling of his stomach. _“Just a bit. Dinner yesterday was plenty.”_

 _“It’s like that every day.”_ Chenle laughed. “ _You’ll see.”_

Yukhei couldn’t help but feel a little bit of relief at the prospect. There was this inane feeling of hunger within him, gnawing at his stomach and forcing his jaw open if he didn’t pay attention. He didn’t know whether it was just a lingering effect of the months he had spent eating less than sizable hospital portions or whether it was the other in him. 

Yukhei hoped that it was the former.

He stayed silent while Chenle switched tongues, engaging Jisung in a conversation that was way too rapid for Yukhei to follow along. He didn’t mind. It was fascinating watching the twins interact, their conversation carried by half sentences that seemed to be understood even before the other had finished speaking. 

“You can come sit with us,” Chenle told him when they entered the Great Hall, pulling him along to the far-right table. 

Yukhei might’ve felt out of place at the table because all the students wore robes with emerald green linings instead of canary yellow, but Jeno and Yangyang were there too and that made him think that it had to be okay.

Chenle and Jisung sat down at once, leaving Yukhei to squeeze himself into the space between Chenle and Yangyang. He swallowed when Yangyang turned his head to appraise him with sharp eyes and an even sharper smile, his jaw moving to slowly chew on the food in his mouth. Yukhei willed himself not to look away, even though he could feel sparks prickle against the back of his neck. 

“Yangyang,” Donghyuck spoke up from where he was sitting opposite of them.

Slowly, Yangyang turned his head to look at him. 

Donghyuck raised a single eyebrow and held Yangyang’s gaze until Yangyang lowered his gaze to his plate, looking decisively unbothered as he began to play with his food instead of Yukhei. Yukhei instinctively felt his posture straighten a bit when Donghyuck’s gaze slid over to him. He felt a little bit intimidated by Donghyuck’s smile, lazy and curling like the snake on his chest. It never quite reached his eyes.

“Morning, Lucas. Did you sleep well?”

Yukhei nodded. “Good.” 

_"No problems?”"_ Renjun asked from Donghyuck’s left.

Yukhei shook his head. _“Nothing. I slept well._ ”

_“And the other Hufflepuffs?”_

Yukhei furrowed his brows. _“What do you mean?”_

 _“How were they?”_ Renjun leaned forward, his gaze boring into Yukhei’s as if he could find the truth behind Yukhei’s eyes. " _Did they treat you well?”_

Yukhei swallowed. He didn’t know what Donghyuck and Renjun were searching for, but he wanted to be truthful. _“They were nice?”_

Renjun seemed content with that, settling back in his seat while he relayed Yukhei’s words to Donghyuck. Belatedly, Yukhei realised that their clothes were different than those of the other boys. Renjun, Donghyuck and Jaemin were all wearing emerald green uniforms instead of the usual accentuated robes, bold numbers printed onto their fronts.

“Why different clothes?” he asked, effectively gathering the attention of the table.

It was Jaemin who answered him, grinning broadly as he leaned over the table where he was sitting on Donghyuck’s other side. “Those are our team robes. Donghyuck, Renjunnie and I are on the Slytherin Quidditch team.”

Yukhei nodded. He didn’t know what Quidditch was, but he could tell by the way Jaemin talked about it that it was important. Something to take pride in. It made Yukhei wonder, who was Hogwarts’ First Son.

“Okay, Captain, calm down. You’re drooling into Duckie’s breakfast.” Renjun reached across Donghyuck to shove Jaemin back into his seat.

It caused Jaemin to grin at Renjun, glee bright in his eyes as he caught onto Renjun’s hand and tried to kiss the back of his palm. He didn’t get very far before Donghyuck was separating them, aided by Jeno on Jaemin’s other side. Yukhei couldn’t shake the feeling that they were doing so more for Jaemin’s sake than Renjun’s, judging by the murderous glint in Renjun’s eyes.

“Keep this up, Jaemin,” Donghyuck sounded almost bored even though the flat tone of his voice was betrayed by the glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Renjun might start sending bludgers in your direction.”

“And we all know how badly that can end,” Chenle piped up.

Something about his comment made the table fall silent. Jaemin turned slightly greenish while the glimmer of amusement in Donghyuck’s eyes died out. Yukhei might’ve asked what it all meant, but a shake of Renjun’s head kept him from doing so.

“Le,” Donghyuck said. He lifted his plate to procure a thick, light blue envelope from below the golden dish, handing it over to Chenle before setting his plate back down. “Bái dropped this off for you this morning. It’s from your mum.”

Chenle groaned, while the rest of the table broke out into snickers. Yukhei looked at Renjun.

 _“Chenle’s mum is a bit…overbearing,”_ Renjun explained. 

_“That’s putting it lightly,”_ Chenle grumbled, but visibly cheered up when Jisung took the letter from him and replaced it with a buttered piece of toast. Jisung opened the letter, holding it so Chenle could read it over his shoulder while he ate. 

“Lucas,” Donghyuck said, effectively catching Yukhei’s attention, “have you received your schedule yet?”

Yukhei was about to shake his head when there was the familiar sound of gentle laughter behind him and a firm hand landed on his shoulder, sliding over his chest as Jungwoo leaned over him to rest his chin on top of Yukhei’s hair.

Yukhei held his breath to keep his heart from beating out of his chest, his face burning with all the blood rushing through his ears. He felt every centimetre of his being light up where Jungwoo’s body was pressed against his back.

“I planned to take him right now. Are you ready, Lucas?”

Yukhei nodded. He didn’t know where they would be going, but Jungwoo had finally come back for him and so he found himself struggling to extract his long legs from under the table.

“Do you want me to come with?” Jeno offered, ignoring the way Jaemin pouted next to him.

“No need, Professor Kyuhyun is still eating. We’ll go talk to him right now.”

Yukhei had hoped that Jungwoo would take his hand again as they walked down the length of the long table and he wasn’t disappointed when Jungwoo looped their arms together, pressing into his side. He smelled like jasmine and morning dew and Yukhei willed himself not to lean over and catch a whiff of his hair. It would have been weird and he didn’t want Jungwoo to think he was weird.

He wanted Jungwoo to think he was admirable and worthy of spending all this time with.

“Did you have a good morning, Lucas?” 

Yukhei blinked the stars out of his eyes. “Yes. Twins came and,” he made a motion as if to shovel food into his mouth. 

Jungwoo’s laughter might have been his new favourite sound. “I’m glad you enjoyed breakfast.”

“Breakfast,” Yukhei agreed. He bit the inside of his cheek before he decided to just give in. “Where were you?”

Jungwoo’s hair was mussed, his robes a lot less put together than they had been this morning in the dormitory and Yukhei wondered what Jungwoo had done that had painted a smudge of dust onto his cheek. It took every ounce of his self-control not to reach out and wipe it away.

Jungwoo’s smile turned secretive, but no less dazzling. “I spent the morning with my one true love.”

Yukhei felt vaguely as if someone had emptied a bucket of ice-cold water over his back. “Oh.”

He was glad that they had arrived at the high table by then. Jungwoo’s attention was taken away by the teachers in front of them and Yukhei had time to rearrange his features into something a little less heartbroken. Of course, he thought, it made sense. Someone as breath-taking as Jungwoo would have a love already. 

“Lucas?” Jungwoo’s gentle voice coaxed him out of his thoughts. He startled when he noticed the teacher in front of them looking at him. 

“Sir,” Yukhei said like Taeyong had taught him and bowed lightly. 

It filled the teacher’s eyes with bemusement, but his voice wasn’t unkind when he leaned forward. “Lucas Wong, I assume? Our October transfer?” 

Yukhei nodded, and so did the teacher. “My name is Professor Kyuhyun, I’m the Head of House Hufflepuff. Welcome to Hogwarts.” 

“Thank you, Sir.” 

“I assume you’re here for your schedule?”

“We are,” Jungwoo confirmed. 

Professor Kyuhyun procured his wand from the folds of his brown robes and conjured a role of parchment before looking at Yukhei in contemplation. Jungwoo said something that was too fast and too mumbled for Yukhei to decipher. All he understood was “schedule” and then Professor Kyuhyun was looking at him with raised brows. Lost, Yukhei could only smile, trying to look as respectful as possible. He knew nothing bad could happen to him as long as Jungwoo’s arm was still intertwined with his. 

Eventually, Professor Kyuhyun shrugged. He glanced at Jungwoo before raising his wand. “If you say so, Mr Kim.” 

Black ink spilled from tip of his wand, running in lines over the parchment, forming a table and then filling it out. As soon as the ink flow stopped, Professor Kyuhyun plucked the parchment out of thin air. He waved it to dry before handing it to Yukhei. 

“I’ll be seeing you in Charms class, Mr Wong, Mr Kim. Good morning.” 

“Good morning, Sir,” Jungwoo chirped, looking pleased as punch as he dragged Yukhei back towards their breakfast table. 

Yukhei squinted at his schedule as he followed Jungwoo, trying to decipher what all the different class names meant. 

“Don’t worry,” Jungwoo told him as they sat back down. “Your schedule is the same as mine. We can go together.” 

“Oh.” Yukhei felt his heart lighten. He let Yangyang snatch the parchment from his hand, too caught up in Jungwoo’s smile to mind. He only looked up when there was a bread roll pressed into his hand. 

“You should eat,” Donghyuck told him before turning back to his own plate. Next to him, Renjun had procured ink and a quill from his bag and was diligently scribbling on Yukhei’s schedule. 

He looked up when he noticed Yukhei watching him and winked. It made Yukhei smile.

These boys were taking care of him and it was a wonderful feeling.

*

They had to climb the stairs up to the highest tower to get to their first class. Yukhei felt his thigh muscles burn the higher he ascended, the feeling turning from an itch to a dull throb of pain. He was careful not to let any of it show on his face. Jungwoo was happily chattering away by his side, gesturing with his hands to make Yukhei understand what he couldn’t express with words and Yukhei would’ve hated to interrupt him. He was surprised when they arrived at the top of the winding staircase to find nothing but an empty corridor.

Jungwoo noticed his confusion, laughing as he grasped Yukhei’s chin and directed his gaze to the ceiling. There, in the middle of the wooden panelling was a circular trap door, wide enough to let even the broadest student through. Attached to it was a ladder and Yukhei felt realisation dawn on him.

“You’ll see,” Jungwoo let go of his face, a bright smile lighting up his features, “Divination is fun! We’re starting with tassomancy today!”

Yukhei had no idea what that meant, but Jungwoo’s excitement made him feel excited too. They joined the small circle of Hufflepuffs by the one of the windows. Yukhei smiled at Felix and Beomgyu in greeting.

“Jungwoo, who’s your friend?”

He recognised the girl that had asked from around the common room. Back then, he had marvelled at the way her hair matched the exact copper shade of the fixtures. Now, he beamed at her. “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

She held out her hand. “Chaeryeong. I heard the others talk about a new student. It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Yukhei enthusiastically shook her hand. “Meet you too.”

Jungwoo grabbed onto his hand the moment it had fallen back to his side. Yukhei was surprised by the tightness of his grip, but when he turned his head, he saw that Jungwoo wasn’t looking at him. He was smiling at Chaeryeong, holding her gaze until Chaeryeong was distracted by the arrival of more students.

“Hey, Ryujin, come meet Lucas!”

She waved to a girl in the same lion-crested robes that Yukhei recognised from Yangyang. Two blond strands framed her neck where her hair was seamlessly brown otherwise. The scarlet lining of her robes made Yukhei feel wary of being subjected to another round of fireworks, but Ryujin didn’t do much more than shoot him a curious glance when she walked up to their circle. Maybe fireworks weren’t how Gryffindors greeted each other after all.

He held out his left hand, his right still caught in Jungwoo’s unwavering grasp. “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

“Ryujin.”

“Lucas is new,” Chaeryeong informed her.

“Mhm,” she narrowed her eyes as she shook his hand, “you’ve got the arms to be a Chaser. Yuqi scout you yet?”

“Ryujin!” Chaeryeong rolled her eyes. “Not everything in the world is about Quidditch.”

“Wrong,” Ryujin said, but there was no heat behind her words. Instead, she grinned at her friend, interlinking their arms before pulling her away to the group of Gryffindors that had gathered around the ladder.

They were rambunctious, Yukhei observed, shoving each other and tussling for the spot closest to the ladder. It was a kind of carefreeness that reminded Yukhei of his brother, but that was not a path he wanted his thoughts to follow so he focussed on the feeling of Jungwoo’s fingers in his. It was so easy to get lost in Jungwoo’s presence, be dazzled by the way his eyes lit up at a joke Felix had made, the lovely sound of his laughter.

Yukhei was still heartbroken about what Jungwoo had said that morning about meeting up with his lover, but he figured that if that couldn’t be him, then he could still enjoy the attention Jungwoo was giving him. It was such a precious gift, Yukhei couldn’t let it be tainted by anything.

Eventually, the professor arrived, opening the trap door with a flick of his wand and climbing up the ladder first. The classroom on the other side reminded Yukhei of the Hufflepuff common room with its circular, albeit tiered shape. Where Yukhei had expected wooden benches, he found plushy armchairs, assorted around small, round tables that were decked out in tea sets.

He sat down at a table with Jungwoo, expecting another Hufflepuff to fill the third seat. He was surprised when Beomgyu was overtaken by a Gryffindor boy with sandy hair, his broad frame effectively swallowing their fellow Hufflepuff from sight.

“Is this seat taken?”

“It is.”

Yukhei turned his head at the unexpected harshness of Jungwoo’s tone. It was such a stark contrast to the soft way in which he usually spoke that it made Yukhei’s head spin. The Gryffindor boy didn’t seem impressed. He let himself fall onto the armchair to Yukhei’s right, grinning at Jungwoo as he kicked out his legs. Jungwoo’s eyes remained hard, the tilt of his head defiant.

“Jungwoo?” Yukhei questioned quietly.

“Oh, ignore him.” The Gryffindor boy seemed to have heard him, his eyes never breaking Jungwoo’s gaze as he spoke. “Jungwoo here is just prissy that we kicked the Puffs out of the cup last year. Just a bit of good old Quidditch rivalry, you know?”

Yukhei shook his head. “No.” He didn’t know.

“Doesn’t matter anyways. It’s nice to meet you, Lucas. Everyone’s been talking about you, so I wanted to see for myself what the fuss was all about. Of course, it’s a pity that Jungwoo already dug his claws into you—not all of us can compete with someone like him, after all—but I thought I might still try my luck. I’m Daniel Kang.” The Gryffindor boy stuck out his hand. “I hope we can become friends.”

Yukhei stared at Daniel’s hand, feelings his fingers curl into fists. He didn’t want to shake his hand. Not when his words had made Jungwoo go so eerily quiet next to him. 

Slowly, Yukhei joined his hands in front of his chest, pressing his palms flat together. _“I don’t trust you,”_ he said in Chinese.

Daniel grinned at him, retracting his hand to mirror his gesture with a “Nice to meet you,” before they were called to order by the professor.

Yukhei was confused when their lesson seemed to commence with everyone charming their cups to fill with hot water, brewing the tea leaves inside, but Jungwoo shot him a small, encouraging smile when Yukhei mirrored his spell work and so he settled in his seat, watching the loose tea leaves swirl.

After their initial conversation, Daniel had turned in his seat to talk to the Gryffindors sitting at the tables around them and Yukhei used the opportunity to grasp onto Jungwoo’s hand, smiling at him until Jungwoo’s features softened again.

“What now?” Yukhei asked as soon as their tea leaves had turned into dregs. He couldn’t imagine that their entire lesson would just consist of drinking tea and breathing in the incense that the professor was burning at his desk.

Jungwoo leaned over him to pull Yukhei’s book out of his bag, rummaging around for a minute before he pulled the Divination guide out. He spread the book open in between their cups. Yukhei hadn’t known which classes would await him and so he had packed all of the tomes the doctor had bought him.

Jungwoo pointed at the relevant passage. “We’re supposed to derive our future from the tea dregs. Here, you can compare the pictures with what you see in your cup.”

Yukhei blinked. He leaned closer to look at the pictures in the book. To him, they all looked like smudges of dirt, but he still wanted to do well, if only because the doctor had bought him his books and they looked too expensive to let go to waste.

So, he squinted at the dregs in his cup, trying to see any shapes or signs.

“Do you see anything?”

Yukhei thought for a moment. “I think, future of me is brown and…” He made a squelching noise with his mouth to signify wetness.

Jungwoo laughed out loud, immediately clasping a hand over his mouth, but even that was not enough to contain his giggles. Yukhei thought that he might’ve grown two centimetres taller in that moment.

“Mr Kim,” the Divination professor called out. “Do you need assistance?”

Jungwoo shook his head, his fingers still pressed against his mouth to keep his giggles in. “No, Sir. Sorry, Sir!”

The Professor shot him another look that reminded Yukhei so much of Mr Zhoumi’s stern face of reprimand he felt himself shudder. Pre-emptively, he hung his head in shame, squinting as if he was very invested in the current paragraph of his book.

He felt the teacher’s gaze remain on them for only a moment longer before he returned his attention to the students standing by his desk. Under the table, Yukhei felt Jungwoo grasp onto his hand once again. He didn’t let go for the rest of the lesson and by the time the professor released them, Yukhei’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

As it turned out, his luck didn’t last forever.

“Mr Wong!” the professor called out for him when he had already joined the crowd eager to leave through the trap door. Yukhei felt his heart sink. He hoped he wasn’t about to receive a late reprimand for disrupting class.

“Yes, Sir?” He could feel Jungwoo’s worried gaze pierce the side of his face.

“Please, stay back for a moment. Everyone else, you better hurry to your next class.”

“Professor—” Jungwoo began, but the professor cut him off with a raise of his hand. “You too, Mr Kim, you know as well as I do that Professor Xiumin doesn’t appreciate tardiness.”

Jungwoo looked like he wanted to argue, so Yukhei made sure to shoot him a relaxed smile. “Okay,” he said, holding Jungwoo’s gaze until he could see the anger from his eyes.

“I’ll be right outside, okay?” Jungwoo whispered, squeezing his hand before he followed the rest of the class down the ladder.

Yukhei waited until he had pulled the trap door shut behind him before he turned around and slowly descended the stairs to the centre of the classroom. The professor was already waiting for him, swirling his wand to fill an unused cup with hot water from the cauldron on his desk. The steam made his glasses fog up, but still Yukhei could feel the teacher watch him.

“Lucas, is it?”

Yukhei nodded. His heart was beating erratically in his chest.

The professor smiled. “How are you liking Hogwarts so far, Lucas?”

Yukhei felt confused. He had expected to be scolded, not small talk. He cleared his throat. “Good,” he said earnestly. “People are nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” The professor set his cup down and with the fog clearing from his glasses, Yukhei could see his eyes clearly. In their depths, Yukhei thought he could see more realities mirrored than their current one. “First, Lucas, you must know that I know about your secret, as all teachers do. It is also why I asked you to talk to me for a moment.”

If Yukhei had thought his heart had sunk before, it now plummeted to his knees.

“Did I do wrong?” He thought about the waxing moon that was already itching under his skin.

“No, I asked you to stay back to tell you that I’ve volunteered to be your primary guide during the full moon. This is to say, I will come to pick you up from your dormitory when the time comes and then accompany you to your safe place. I will also be the one to recollect you afterwards and bring you to the infirmary.”

Yukhei bit his lip. He had only been the other once, but he remembered. The professor in front of him was short, puny in comparison to the other. He doubted that they could know, that any of them could know how to contain the other without killing him. And yet—Yukhei searched the professor’s face—and yet there was no fear in the professor’s eyes and so Yukhei willed himself to be brave too. To believe in the people of this castle.

“Don’t look so worried,” the professor smiled. “You are not the first werewolf to walk these halls, Lucas, and though we are teachers, we learn too. We’re going to take good care of you. I promised my good friend that I would.”

Yukhei wondered who the teacher was referring to. He tried to find any indication in the professor’s appearance, but came up empty. His robes were plain, a dark grey that was contrasted by the many necklaces he wore, the gem stones dangling from his ears and the pearly beads of the fine chain that secured his glasses around his neck. He didn’t look like any of the adults Yukhei had come to know here. He didn’t look like any adult Yukhei had ever met, really.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

Yukhei felt a little bit embarrassed. The moment had passed to ask this, but he needed to know. “I’m sorry. Your name? I didn’t hear.”

“Oh,” the professor laughed, “don’t worry about it.”

He leaned forward and his smile was all-knowing in a way that made Yukhei think he had to be older than the less than half a dozen years he looked to have on Yukhei. “I’m Professor Moon. Inside this classroom, you have to call me so, but when I come to collect you, you may call me Taeil.”

*

After an entire day of classes, Yukhei felt more than exhausted.

 _“It’s because your brain has to work overtime_ ,” Chenle told him as they walked down a well-trodden path out of the castle. _“You not only have to focus on understanding the concepts, your brain has to translate and make sense of what is said before that.”_

 _“I never thought about it like that.”_ Yukhei suppressed a yawn.

 _“Renjun had the same problem. He’d always conk out immediately after classes when we had long days.”_ The memory made Chenle giggle. _“That’s why we took him to the lake so often after class. Donghyuck thought the fresh air might wake him up.”_

_“Is that where we’re going? The lake?”_

_“No, but we’re staying outside so we should get you back with the alive and kicking in no time.”_

Yukhei was glad. He liked being outside, liked the fresh air and the sight of the sprawling grounds. It made him feel less confined than the thick stone walls of the castle. Jisung next to Chenle seemed to share his sentiment because he kept running ahead, nearly vibrating with pent-up energy before he returned to their side.

“Jisung!” Yangyang, walking in front of them, called after him the second time he did it, looking surprisingly worried. Yukhei hadn’t thought Yangyang was even capable of such an emotion. “Be careful! Don’t hurt yourself!”

“I got it,” Jeno mumbled from the back of the group where he had been talking with Jungwoo. He overtook them all to catch up to Jisung with long strides, catching him by hood of his robes and throwing an arm over his shoulder to keep him from running off again.

Chenle took off to join them, but didn’t get very far before Yangyang had caught up with him to do the same to him that Jeno had done to Jisung. Though, Chenle giggled when Yangyang pulled him close, tickling Yangyang’s side until the Gryffindor was laughing.

It left Yukhei to walk next to Jungwoo, which was his favourite thing to do, really.

“Okay?” Jungwoo asked him quietly.

Yukhei nodded, rubbing his temple. “Tired.”

Jungwoo mirrored his gesture before smiling. “Tomorrow, you can take a nap after lunch. We don’t have Potions until the evening.”

“Yes!” Yukhei agreed and then missed a step when he caught onto Jungwoo’s arm. “What is nap?”

“Oh, it means sleeping. You know,” Jungwoo mimicked bedding his head on his hands and Yukhei understood.

“Nap.” Yukhei liked the idea of that. “Together?”

Jungwoo shook his head, laughing, “I can’t. I have stuff to do.”

Yukhei felt his stomach churn. “Your love, again?”

He willed his heart not to hurt at the mirth in Jungwoo’s eyes when he said, “Yes,” and then more quietly, “I could introduce you some time, if you want.”

“Important to you,” Yukhei pointed at Jungwoo’s heart before gesturing at his own, “important to me.” Yukhei forced himself to smile. “So, we meet.”

He wasn’t lying. He wanted Jungwoo to be happy and if that meant making nice with someone else, then he could do that. He could do that for Jungwoo, who was always doing so much for him. Even if he hated it.

They arrived at their destination, a stadium that stood high and mighty at the edge of the forest. It was built from iron and wood, the beams decked in all four of the house colours. Yukhei marvelled at the detail with which the wooden beams had been hexed into shape as they passed through the entrance tunnel.

It seemed that the stadium was a popular spot for students to hang out after class, the stands already filled with scattered groups of people. Most of them were Slytherin, Yukhei noticed as they ascended the rows, but he recognised none of them. Chenle laughed when he asked about the rest of their group as soon as they had sat down.

 _“Up there.”_ He pointed at the sky above. _“They’re the main attraction.”_

Yukhei felt his mouth fall open as he looked up to see the sky mottled with emerald green shapes, _moving_ emerald green shapes.

_“They’re flying.”_

_“Indeed, they are. That’s kind of the main prerequisite to play Quidditch. Do you recognise them?”_

It was hard to make out anything except blurs of colour with how fast the players were moving, but then Yukhei spotted a shock of auburn hair at the far end of the field, Renjun’s slighter, more agile figure right beside it. 

“Donghyuck and Renjun,” he trailed their brooms with his fingers.

Chenle nodded eagerly. _“Yes, that’s them. They’re our Beaters, our deadly duo. Their job is to try and incapacitate other players by shooting bludgers at them.”_

Yukhei watched as Donghyuck caught one of the black, iron balls with his bat and redirected it upwards, where Renjun was already waiting to send it soaring across the field. It missed one of their other players by a hair’s width and Yukhei had the feeling that that was more due to Renjun’s graciousness than her quick reflexes.

 _“But,”_ he frowned, _“they’re shooting at each other.”_

_“Yes, because this is just practice. See, right now Duckie and Renjun are helping Seungmin guard the rings. Watch, Jaemin advance!”_

Yukhei watched as Jaemin, recognisable by the gleaming silver band tied around his upper arm, shot across the length of the field. He was holding a bigger, brown ball wedged beneath his arm, expertly dodging the bludgers Renjun and Donghyuck sent his way.

“Woah!”

Yukhei felt excitement tug on his heart when Jaemin suddenly pulled his broom near-vertical, raising one arm to throw while holding himself on his broom with the other. The brown ball went flying, passing right through the space between Donghyuck and Renjun’s heads, past Seungmin’s fingertips before it shot through the highest of the rings.

“Yeah, Jaemin!” Jeno jumped up from the end of their row, clapping wildly.

It made the students sitting in the row below them looked at him with bemusement and Yukhei couldn’t help but grin, joining Jeno in his celebration. Jungwoo to his left clapped as well, even if he remained seated. Their eyes met and Yukhei couldn’t help the joy he felt at sharing his excitement with Jungwoo.

Jungwoo shook his head before hiding his laughter behind his hand and Yukhei felt as if he was flying himself.

He was about to sit back down when he heard the distinct whistle of something heavy passing through the air, his eyes widening as he saw a blur of brown leather appear in his vision. He knew that it was objectively a terrible idea, but it was instinct more than rational thinking that was driving him in that moment. The same instinct that had driven Yangyang, had driven Jeno.

The weighted leather ball hit his hands like a rock would have, his palms burning with the force of the impact but he had caught it, a centimetre before it could hit Chenle in the face. Chenle’s eyes were wide as orbs behind the ball, his entire body frozen in shock.

There was a heartbeat of absolute silence before Chenle was pulled to the side, ending up in Jisung’s lap as the other frantically touched his face, searching for any kind of injury. There was none, Yukhei knew because he had made sure of it. The skin of his hands burned as he tightened his grip on the ball and redirected his attention to the field.

“Sorry!” one of the players was descending rapidly, his arms outstretched as if he wanted to ask for his ball back.

Yukhei felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. He was still standing so he transferred the ball to one hand and drew his arm back. With one eye closed, he aimed and threw as hard as he could, sending the ball sailing past the player’s awaiting arms, shooting across the sky until it went straight through the lowest of the unguarded rings.

Yukhei sat back down, still feeling a little miffed as he sorted out his robes before he could settle comfortably. He startled when he caught Chenle staring at him with his mouth open, his eyes just as wide as Jisung’s.

“What?” Yukhei asked before he turned around, just to find Jeno, Jungwoo and even Yangyang look at him with the same expression.

“What?” he repeated, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo breathed. “How did you do that?”

He furrowed his brows. “Do what?”

“Score like that,” Jeno spoke up, shaking the stars out of his eyes. “That was at least a hundred metres.”

Yukhei tilted his head to the side. He still didn’t understand. “Just—” he made a throwing motion— “just that.”

It didn’t seem to satisfy any of his new friends.

Yangyang scoffed before he turned towards Jeno and Jungwoo. “If you tell Yuqi about this, I will never forgive you. We already have to go up against the murder squad up there. Hitting it against one one-in-a-century Chaser is enough. Daniel’s gonna have my head if he learns I let this happen.”

Something about that name caused the atmosphere around them to shift and Yukhei watched as Jeno and Jungwoo exchanged a glance. He had given up on the conversation around the same time that Yangyang had opened his mouth, but was easily drawn back in by the smile that bloomed on Jungwoo’s face, his sweet voice when he asked, “Lucas, do you like to fly?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see the blue flycatcher fly?  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
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>   
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> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
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	4. One True Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains one of my favourite scenes (you'll know at the end) so I really hope you enjoy!!

When Yukhei had gone to bed that night, he hadn’t expected to be dragged out of bed before sunrise the next morning. If it had been anyone else but Jungwoo, he probably would have found a way to tell them to let him sleep, but it _was_ Jungwoo’s sweet voice coaxing him out of bed and so he had dressed himself using muscle memory rather than his brain, stumbling after Jungwoo and out of the castle.

Yukhei had somewhat managed to regain consciousness by the time they passed through the dark tunnel that led into the Quidditch stadium. The dew-covered field was glistening orange in the morning twilight and Yukhei found his bones settle with the rising sun. The full moon was close and so it was hard to find rest at night, but walking in the sun light he was nothing but himself. As much as the itch under his skin liked to tell him otherwise.

In the centre of the field, two silhouettes were waiting for them. Yukhei recognised only one of them, but the sight made him immediately feel more at ease.

He blamed it on his sleep-addled brain that the first words out of his mouth were, “No Jaemin?”

Jeno laughed, the sound echoing in the empty stadium. “No, no Jaemin this morning. His presence would be a bit counterproductive.”

Yukhei nodded. He didn’t know what that meant, but Jeno’s grin was blinding and so Yukhei just went along with it. Yukhei liked that about Jeno. When Jeno smiled, it seemed like there was nothing bad in the world. It alleviated any worries he might have had.

“That’s him?” the girl next to Jeno spoke up, her gaze trained on Yukhei.

“That’s him,” Jungwoo confirmed from his side. The press of his fingers against Yukhei’s shoulder was gentle, but firm enough to push him forward a little.

Yukhei swallowed as the girl surveyed him. She was a whole head shorter than him, but the way she stepped forward was imposing. Jeno and her were wearing the same canary yellow uniform. Yukhei recognised the design from when he had seen the Slytherin wearing the same Quidditch uniforms in emerald green. This had to be Yuqi then, the Hufflepuff captain, as Jungwoo had told him about her over dinner the night before.

Yuqi circled him once before crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Jeno and Jungwoo told me you want to be our new Chaser. I believe them that you can throw. You’ve got nice, chunky arms. My question is whether you can throw a quaffle and stay on a broom at the same time?”

She gave him another once-over before taking a step back, a slow grin spreading over her features. “We’ll see, I guess.”

It was then that Yukhei noticed the brooms in Jeno’s hands, one a shiny black, smelling of broom oil and diligent care even from a distance while the other looked plain, something that would be school-issued. Yuqi grabbed onto her black broom while Jeno offered Yukhei the standard model.

Despite the broom’s rather weak response to his touch, Yukhei couldn’t help the grin that spread over his features when he swung one leg over the wood. The broomstick gave under his weight before it seemed to fully come alive, finally reacting properly when Yukhei steered them upwards.

Flying was something Yukhei had learnt out of necessity. He had been twelve when his brother had become part of the sky and so Yukhei had swung himself on a broom and clung tight. He had fallen off over and over again until he didn’t anymore. Somewhere along the line, he had fallen in love with it.

He loved flying. He hadn’t expected to ever be able to do it again. Having the chance now made him feel weightless even before he had pushed himself off the ground. He ascended until he was floating at the same height as Yuqi, the tentative approval in her eyes making him grin.

“Jeno!” she called out and caught the brown ball that shot up in the air between them. “This is a quaffle. Your goal is to throw it through one of the hoops.”

Yukhei nodded. He knew as much.

Yuqi’s grin turned sharp. “If you score on me, you make it onto the team. If not, Jungwoo and Jeno have to find another hobby for you. Understood?”

He nodded again, gripping the wood of his broom a little tighter. The wood quivered with expectancy of his next command.

“Great, catch!”

The quaffle hit him square in the stomach, making him wheeze as he dropped a couple of metres in surprise. Nonetheless, he managed to hold onto the quaffle before it could fall out of reach. Wedging it under one arm like he had seen Jaemin do the day before, he held onto his broom with two hands and searched the sky for Yuqi.

She was at the other end of the field by now, the lacquered wood of her broom glistening in the morning sun as she hovered in front of the rings. Yukhei could have thrown from a distance, but that would’ve meant that Yuqi would’ve had the time to track the quaffle’s movement.

He needed to get closer.

Allowing the fresh morning air to clear his mind, he gripped the handle of his broom and leaned forward, savouring the shiver that went through his body as he picked up speed. He was much larger than Yuqi so he wouldn’t be more agile, which meant he’d have to find a way to use his strength.

Advancing quickly, he could see her ready herself, tracking his every moment. When he was less than a dozen metres away, he pulled his broom vertically without losing any speed, lifted his arm and aimed at the uppermost ring. He watched as Yuqi pulled her broom upwards alongside him, one arm reaching out to catch the quaffle.

Yukhei never let go of it. Instead, he continued to pull on the handle of his broom until he was on his back, his stomach flipping and his thigh muscles screaming with the effort of keeping him on his broom upside down, but this was not the first time he had pulled a maneuver in mid-air like this and he would fight for it to not be his last either.

Air whistled in his ears as the sky passed by his eyes, then the ground and eventually, he caught sight of the rings again. He pulled himself upright on his broom just in time and set the quaffle in his hand sailing towards the lowest of the rings with all his might. It passed through the iron hoop and metres below, Yukhei could hear Jungwoo scream his name.

He landed with shaking legs, his knees threatening to give out under him but then he was hugged from both sides, Jungwoo laughing in his ear while Jeno hollered and Yukhei couldn’t contain the laughter bubbling up in his own chest.

Yelling, he threw his arms around his friends’ shoulders, just basking in the moment, just basking in the feeling of having done well. Jeno freed himself rather quickly from his embrace, but Jungwoo held on. Yukhei felt no shame in using this chance to hug him properly. He allowed himself this moment, this moment where Jungwoo was all his.

“I knew you could do it,” Jungwoo breathed into his ear.

His cheeks were flushed when Yukhei pulled away, his eyes shining with pride. He was so beautiful. Jungwoo was so beautiful it hurt. He was so beautiful it healed Yukhei’s heart.

“Not bad, I’d say.”

Jungwoo let go of him when Yuqi landed next to them, the quaffle secured under her arm. Her curls flopped into her face when she hit the ground. She brushed them away with a gloved hand before smiling at Yukhei.

“Welcome to the team, Lucas.”

“Thank you.” He withstood the urge to bow. “Thank you so much.”

“Thank _you_ for being good. With you on our team, we might actually have a chance at the cup this year!”

“Hey,” Jeno pouted, “we did well last year!”

“Yeah, Head Boy, before your hip attachment and the rest of the snakes kicked us off.”

“Jaemin said sorry,” Jeno’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons, “and he bought me ice cream after.”

Yuqi let out a groan, dramatic enough to make Jungwoo giggle and that, in turn, made Yukhei smile.

“This is why they made me captain and not you.” Yuqi took Yukhei’s broom from him before pushing it into Jeno’s arms. “Now, go help me clean up. Lucas, Jungwoo, you go ahead and get breakfast. Merlin knows it’s way too early for all of us to be out here.”

Jungwoo mock-saluted and Yukhei was quick to mirror him. Yuqi waved them away with a huff, but Yukhei could see the satisfaction in her eyes.

Jungwoo held onto his arm tightly as they left the stadium. Yukhei was thankful for it, not only because he savoured every touch Jungwoo granted him, but also because he still felt a little wobbly on his legs.

“Did you plan on doing that stunt up there?”

Yukhei cocked his head to the side. “Stunt?”

“Oh, you know.” Jungwoo mimicked his backwards somersault and Yukhei laughed.

He shook his head. “No plan, just…”

“Luck?” Jungwoo suggested.

Yukhei nodded.

“I don’t believe that. I believe you’re incredible. I’ve never seen anyone do what you did up there, and on a school broom as well. Just wait until we’re up against Ravenclaw, we can win!” Jungwoo’s voice got higher when he was excited, syllables tumbling together, and Yukhei felt his knees go weak for a different reason.

“I hope we win.”

It was such a mundane thing to wish for.

Below their feet, the morning dew had thawed, leaving the grass glittering with drops of condensation as the sun rose higher and higher. Yukhei loved the feeling of sunlight on his skin, the crunch of earth beneath their shoes and the feeling of Jungwoo’s hand on his arm.

All these things reminded Yukhei that he was human, that he was still human despite the itch underneath his skin that never let him forget that he had become more, and in that also lesser.

He wondered, as he watched Jungwoo ramble on about Quidditch and the hope Yukhei gave their team, whether Jungwoo would still look at him with such admiration if he knew about the other. Whether he’d still call him Lucas in that sweet voice of his. Whether he’d still touch him.

He hoped he would’ve. He knew that the chances were low. For now, he could do nothing but be grateful for what he did have.

 _The sun belongs to me,_ he thought as he tilted his face towards the sky, soaked up more of it’s light. _I belong to the moon, but the sun belongs to me._

*

Their friends were already at the Slytherin table when he and Jungwoo entered the Great Hall. With them was Taeil, one of his beringed hands resting on top of Yangyang’s head while he argued with a very unamused looking Donghyuck.

“It’s not fair, Illie!”

“It’s Professor Moon in these halls, _Mr Seo,_ and I’m aware of your misgivings but that doesn’t change anything about the matter.”

“You can’t just give him detention for not being good at Divination, Il—Sir. That’s not fair!”

“Lucas has been working really hard,” Renjun chimed in. He was calmer in his outrage than Donghyuck. He didn’t raise his voice, but his gaze was just as burning. “We spent all night yesterday trying to teach him grammar. He’s learning.”

Taeil wasn’t swayed by either of them. “Be that as it may, I’ve made my decision and—oh, Mr Wong, I’m glad that you’re here.”

Yukhei felt his heart sink when everyone at the table turned to look at him.

“What’s going on?” Jungwoo asked.

“I came here to talk to Mr Wong about this.” Taeil procured a rolled-up scroll from the folds of his robes. With trepidation, Yukhei recognised it as the parchment he had handed in at the end of his first Divination lesson. “I almost had to mark this as Dreadful, which poses a problem.”

“I did wrong?” Yukhei’s cheeks heated up with embarrassment. He could admit to his faults, but it was different being presented with them in such a public manner.

“I wouldn’t call it wrong, but rather lacking. You have a lot to catch up on if you want to pass my class and I see no other way then to sign you up for extra lessons. For that reason, I’ll expect you in my office tomorrow night, six o’clock on the dot.”

Yukhei’s heart skipped a beat as realisation dawned on him. Where he had cast his head down in shame, he looked up, met the professor’s warm gaze. Understanding passed between them. Tomorrow night was the full moon. Taeil had sworn to take care of him and that was exactly what he was doing.

“I understand,” he said before he quickly lowered his head again. “I will come.”

“No.” Donghyuck’s features scrunched up as if he had bitten into a sour fruit. “No, Lucas, you don’t accept this! This is ridiculous! You can’t punish him for being a foreigner, Taeil!”

“It’s okay,” Yukhei interjected before Donghyuck could argue any further. “I accept professor’s words. I’m lacking. I accept punishment.”

“Lucas—” Jungwoo tried, but he was stopped by Taeil.

“That’s quite enough backtalk, thank you. I know detention seems like the worst thing in the world to you boys, but it is for the best. We’re all pursuing the same goal here, which is making sure that Mr Wong has an easier time at Hogwarts. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to prepare. Don’t forget, Mr Wong, tomorrow evening six o’clock on the dot.”

“I will come.”

Yukhei didn’t watch Professor Moon leave like the rest of his friends. He sat down, tugging on Jungwoo’s hand when the other boy remained standing. It seemed to shake Jungwoo out of whatever thoughts he had had watching Taeil walk away. His smile was sweet as ever when he sat down next to Yukhei.

Yukhei didn’t feel ashamed to lean into it when Jungwoo placed first his hand and then his chin on his shoulder. “Okay?”

Yukhei nodded. It was mesmerising, having Jungwoo’s face this close to his own, looking into his eyes and breathing the same air.

“Okay.”

He wasn’t ashamed of how breathless he sounded either. His heart was beating in his chest, nearly loud enough to drown out,

“I’m going to hex his crystals.”

“Yangyang, no!”

Yukhei turned his head just in time to see Renjun throwing his arms around Yangyang’s neck, effectively keeping him in his seat.

“Yangyang, stay put,” Donghyuck said, but his gaze was trained on Yukhei.

Donghyuck’s gaze flicked from Yukhei’s face to the place where Jungwoo was resting his head on his shoulder and then back up to meet Yukhei’s eyes. The intensity of Donghyuck’s stare made Yukhei feel raw, exposed where he needed to stay covered. It was over within a heartbeat.

Donghyuck averted his eyes over to Yangyang and Renjun. “Taeil means well and he’s our professor now. We have to respect his decision.” Donghyuck pressed his tongue against his front teeth, scrunching up his nose. “As much as I don’t like it.”

Silence followed until it was broken by Chenle’s giggle. He picked up his tankard and raised it into the air. “The Heir has spoken, so we shall follow along.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and threw a piece of bread at him. It was caught by Jisung, who threw it right back at him. His aim was off, however, and the bread landed in Jaemin’s bowl, splattering porridge all over the front of his robes.

“Jisung!” he whined loudly, which inadvertently caused the rest of the table to laugh at him.

Even Jisung himself was hiding his laughter behind his hand. That was, until the annoyed glint in Jaemin’s eyes turned devious and he lunged over the table to pinch Jisung’s cheek.

“It’s okay, Sungie,” Jaemin cooed while Jisung uselessly batted at his arm. “I forgive you.”

“You’re terrible,” Jisung gasped out once he had freed himself from Jaemin’s loving touch, glaring at Donghyuck and Renjun, who were hiding their laughter behind their hands. “You’re all terrible.”

“I’m not terrible, am I?”

Jisung’s gaze considerably softened when he looked at Chenle. “No, of course not.”

Chenle seemed content with that. He raised his hand to gently pat over the reddened, finger-shaped imprint Jaemin’s hand had left on Jisung’s cheek, doing so until the rest of his face matched its colour.

The rest of them continued eating.

After having been dragged out of bed at an unreasonably early hour, Yukhei was happy to dig into his food while he listened to the others talk, laughing at Jaemin and Renjun, whom he had chosen as the next victim of his affections.

Renjun was having none of it and watching them bicker reminded Yukhei of home, reminded him of how much he missed it and yet found consolation in being here, safe and surrounded by his new friends.

He was grateful for the second life he had been given.

*

Biting the inside of his cheek, Yukhei furrowed his brows as he pointed his wand at the apple in front of him.

 _“Avifors,”_ he tried to enunciate as clearly as possible, watching in disappointment when his wand sprouted a tirade of blue sparks, but nothing more happened.

He sighed. After nearly an hour of trying to transform the apple into a bird, he felt tempted to throw his wand across the common room.

“It’s okay,” Jungwoo told him, leaning over the table top between them to cover his trembling hands. “It’s a difficult spell, but you’re almost there. The assignment isn’t due until Friday, so we can try again after class tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Yukhei wished he didn’t sound quite as miserable as he felt, but it was hard.

He was already bad at written assignments, depending on Renjun and Chenle to translate all that he wanted to say. Practical magic was where he could’ve excelled if only the spells would’ve worked.

Jungwoo’s smile made him feel a little better. The tension in his shoulders loosened the longer Jungwoo brushed his thumb over the back of his hand. He just wished he could’ve given Jungwoo something to be delighted about.

Jungwoo’s own bird sat in the cage between them, fluttering its silver wings when Yukhei looked at it. It was beautiful just like Jungwoo. Yukhei straightened out his posture. If he couldn’t be proud of himself, he could be proud of Jungwoo, at least.

He pointed at the roll of parchment in front of Jungwoo. “Words are okay?”

“It’s going well.” Jungwoo twirled his quill between his fingers before smiling. “It’s Herbology, so it’s easy.”

“Herbology,” Lucas repeated. “What is that?”

“Oh! It’s plants, basically.”

Jungwoo let go of his hand to reach up to the potted plants hanging over their heads. Immediately, the cascading vines reached out for his fingers, rustling their leaves to get his attention and receive a caress.

Jungwoo played with them until one of the vines wrapped around his wrist, tugging him upwards. The vine quickly retracted when Jungwoo clacked his tongue at it, reprimand clear in his voice.

Yukhei watched in fascination. He had seen other students play with the plants in the common room before, reaching up to tickle their leaves or tug on their vines, but the plants never reacted to anyone like they did to Jungwoo.

“They like you.”

“I sure hope they would.” Jungwoo’s smile turned almost loving as he let his gaze trail over the abundance of green above their heads, filling the nooks and crannies of the common room until it seemed like the common room had grown like the plants did. “I extracted most of their sprouts myself.”

Yukhei felt a little bit in love with the pride in Jungwoo’s eyes, the unbound adoration.

He blinked when Jungwoo directed the same gaze at him. “Do you have plans tonight, Lucas? After dinner?”

Yukhei shook his head. He didn’t have plans. At Hogwarts, he mostly just followed what everyone else was doing so he didn’t get lost.

Jungwoo beamed. “Great! We’ll go somewhere, okay? I want to show you something.”

“Go together?”

“Yes.”

Yukhei tried not to show how truly excited the prospect made him feel. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Jungwoo repeated more softly before he returned to his homework.

Yukhei wanted to pillow his head on his arms and watch him work for the rest of the afternoon, but that might’ve been weird and so he turned towards his bag and pulled out the scroll of parchment Renjun had given him earlier that day. It was a worksheet designed to teach him more vocabulary which could be helpful for his assignments.

He didn’t like doing exercises on his own, but it was what Jungwoo expected of him and Yukhei didn’t want to disappoint him. Neither did he want to incur Renjun’s wrath for falling behind in their tutoring lessons.

They worked in silence until it was time for dinner, Yukhei’s rumbling stomach alerting them both of that fact. It made Jungwoo laugh as he rolled up his finished assignment and Yukhei felt his own spirits lift. He felt proud about his own, finished worksheet.

 _“You’re doing well,”_ Renjun commented when Yukhei presented him with the filled parchment at the dinner table. _“Give me half an hour after dinner and I can make you a new one.”_

Yukhei shook his head. _“I can’t.”_ He felt proud when he looked over to where Jungwoo was sitting in between Jaemin and Jeno. Switching tongues, he said, “Jungwoo and I go together.”

Donghyuck looked up at those words. “You’re going together?” He turned towards Jungwoo. “Where are you going?”

Jungwoo’s smile turned brilliant. “I’m going to show Lucas my special place.”

“Ew!” Yangyang gagged. “Can you maybe not call it that? Gross.”

Jungwoo’s eyes turned dark with anger and for a split second Yukhei imagined that the veins around his eyes matched the colour. He looked much more terrifying when he scowled than Yukhei had expected. “Shut up, Yangyang! You know that’s not what I meant!”

Jungwoo’s gaze flickered over to Yukhei, his cheeks colouring red before he scowled at Yangyang again.

Yangyang tilted his head to the side as if the question Jungwoo’s claim, his chin jutting forward. “Are you sure about that?”

“Of course!” Jungwoo’s usually sweet voice turned shrill when it rose with indignance. “And even if it was, that’s none of your business!”

“Is it not? I disagree. I think it’s absolutely my business if I end up getting punched in the face again just because you’re a—”

“Yangyang,” Donghyuck’s voice was cold and sharp, effectively cutting off all the words Yangyang had had left, “leave Jungwoo alone.”

Yangyang looked like he wanted to argue, but Donghyuck’s gaze was unyielding, terrifying in a different way than Jungwoo’s anger had been. His words were absolute. They left no room for argument.

And yet Yangyang seemed eager to rise up to the challenge as he held Donghyuck’s gaze, slowly baring his teeth. Yukhei had only know the Gryffindor boy for a couple of days, but he could already tell that Yangyang was not the type of person to walk away from a fight.

It was Jeno who broke the tension between them.

He cleared his throat. “Yangyang.”

Jeno’s tone was gentle, which may have been the only reason why Yangyang deigned to look at him.

“Let’s take a walk, yeah? Like Kun said you should when you feel angry.”

Something about that name seemed to quench the fire behind Yangyang’s eyes. His shoulders slumped as he looked down at his plate, the grip he had on his cutlery tightening until his knuckles turned white. Yukhei couldn’t help but flinch when the cutlery fell from his grasp, chiming as it hit the table.

Yangyang pulled himself to his feet, stepping out of the bench and walking away from the table with long, shaky strides. Jeno followed him with Jaemin right behind him. They took Yangyang into their middle, letting him steer them out of the Great Hall.

Yukhei looked after them with wide eyes before he turned around to gauge the reaction of the rest of the table. Renjun looked the least affected by the entire spectacle, his expression pinched but his posture relaxed as he patted Donghyuck’s shoulder.

Donghyuck had placed his elbow on the table to pinch his nose, his free hand playing with the chess pendant dangling from his necklace. Yukhei empathised with the long sigh the Slytherin let out. The twins next to Yukhei had resumed eating, Chenle bumping his fork against the mouth of a spooked-looking Jisung until Jisung opened up.

And then there was Jungwoo, now sitting apart from everyone else because of the gap Jaemin and Jeno had left. He was already looking at Yukhei and Yukhei put on his best smile, revelling in the way it made the corners of Jungwoo’s mouth twitch, the tension seep from his shoulders. He still looked wilted, eyes darker than they usually were, but Yukhei could tell that he’d be able to cheer Jungwoo up once they were alone.

He inhaled his dinner after that, eager to leave the heavy atmosphere at the table. Jungwoo ate a lot slower than him, but he rose when Yukhei did, abandoning his plate even when Donghyuck asked him to finish it.

This time, it was Yukhei who took Jungwoo’s hand, trying to convey with his touch what he couldn’t express with words. Jungwoo seemed to understand him nonetheless, the colour returning to his cheeks as he laughed at the terrible, stuttered jokes Yukhei tried to make.

Jungwoo insisted they make a detour over their dormitory to bundle up before he led Yukhei out of the castle. Yukhei swallowed as soon as they stepped out into the night, the other in him coming alive at the first trickle of moonlight hitting his skin.

“You would’ve seen it tomorrow anyways, but I wanted you to see it with me for the first time.” Jungwoo’s nose had turned red from the night’s cold, his breath fogging up the air. “I’ve spent the past four years rebuilding it. With the help of the Herbology club and Ten, of course, but most of what you’ll see has grown under my care for the past two years.”

Jungwoo’s eyes were sparkling when he looked at Yukhei. “I really hope you’ll like it.”

They approached a row of long, vitreous buildings, their weathered fronts obscuring the shadows inside. Yukhei still recognised them for what they were and while he never would have expected for Jungwoo to lead him to such a place, he was still fascinated by the prospect of entering one of the greenhouses.

Jungwoo led him to the third in the row, procuring a key from the depths of his robes that opened the iron-framed door. As they passed over the threshold, Yukhei noticed that the bottom of the glass walls was charred, blackened where the upper panels were only covered in the same weathered grime that covered the other greenhouses.

 _“Lumos,”_ Jungwoo murmured, pointing his wand at the sizable chandelier hanging from the iron beam that separated the ceiling into two. Light flooded the room and Yukhei felt his eyes go wide as he looked around.

Where the Hufflepuff common room had been decorated with enough plants to look alive, the greenhouse _was_ alive, plants of all sizes, shapes and colours filling the earth beds, standing on the shelves and hanging from the ceiling in iron pots. In the back of the greenhouse, Yukhei saw trees that bore fluorescent fruit, their trunks bending and winding around each other to accommodate the vitreous barrier of the ceiling and to the side stood a hedge that hid whatever was growing behind.

“This is it,” Jungwoo said proudly, “my one true love.”

Yukhei’s eyes grew wide as he looked around, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. “Plants?”

Jungwoo nodded, silver stars in his eyes. “Plants.”

Yukhei couldn’t quite help the laugh that escaped him. Jungwoo’s love were his plants. Yukhei felt weightless with the realisation. He could live with that. In the face of such natural beauty, he’d gladly fight for second place. 

Jungwoo lead him to the centre of the room where the work tables were, giving Yukhei a small, teethed succulent to hold. Yukhei yelped when it almost bit off one of his fingers, but it was worth the delighted laugh Jungwoo let out.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please, don’t be mad. It’s just a seedling, it didn’t mean to.” Jungwoo took the plant from Yukhei’s hands.

Yukhei noted that the succulent didn’t try to snap at Jungwoo’s fingers when Jungwoo set it back down on the work table.

“Not mad.” Yukhei wasn’t. He was fascinated.

Jungwoo beamed at him.

He took Yukhei’s hand before pulling him over to the plant beds. Yukhei marvelled at the variety of colours and shapes, keeping his hands to himself this time around. Jungwoo would give him the name of whatever plant he pointed at, adding background information or little anecdotes.

“This one, Ten had imported from Bolivia.” Yukhei watched the brown-dotted vines of the plant wriggle when Jungwoo tickled its roots. “It was a such a hassle to get through customs. They tried to proclaim it as dangerous to flora, fauna and wizardkind. We even had to ask Professor Byun to go to the Ministry.” Jungwoo giggled, the plant swaying to the tune of his voice. “But in the end, we got it and Ten let me plant it myself, isn’t that cool?” 

“Cool,” Yukhei parroted. He let Jungwoo guide his hand to touch the vines. “Who is Ten?”

“Oh,” Jungwoo’s eyes widened, filling with excitement, “Ten is the best! He was my mentor before he graduated.” Jungwoo’s tone became reverent. “There’s no one in the world that knows more about plants than Ten does. He’s out of the country travelling for his parent’s trade company right now, but I’d love to introduce you once he comes back.”

Jungwoo’s cheeks coloured pink, his gaze flickering to the side. “That is, if you want to, of course! You don’t have to meet him! It was just an idea, really—”

Yukhei silenced him by shaking his head.

“Want to.” He smiled, touching Jungwoo’s chest where his heart was. “Important to you,” he pulled his hand back against his own chest, “important to me. Don’t forget.”

The smile that bloomed on Jungwoo’s face was beautiful, the warmth of it winding around Yukhei’s heart like the vines still wound around his left hand. "Okay."

They both looked up when the door to the greenhouse opened. Instinctively, Yukhei pulled himself upright and took a step forward, his hand slipping out of the vines’ embrace. He relaxed his posture when he saw who had come in. 

Donghyuck was alone, which was such a peculiar sight that it must’ve been an intentional decision on his part. The corner of his mouth twitched when he spotted them amongst the plant beds.

“Donghyuck?” Jungwoo used Yukhei’s forearm to pull himself out of his crouch. “What are you doing here?”

Donghyuck didn’t answer until he had bridged the distance between them. “I came to talk to you.” His gaze flickered over to Yukhei. “Only you, actually. Lucas, would you mind going ahead?” He gestured towards the door. “I have to talk to Jungwoo alone.”

“Leave?” Yukhei asked, feeling unsure.

“We’ll be right behind you.”

Donghyuck’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, but then it never did. Yukhei had observed as much during the past few days. It didn’t have to mean he had bad intentions. Not with Jungwoo, at least. Apart from Yukhei, Donghyuck was the one that occupied most of Jungwoo’s time and that made Yukhei trust him.

Still, he sought out Jungwoo’s gaze.

Jungwoo smiled at him. The stars in his eyes had burned out. “It’s okay, Lucas. You can head back to the castle. You remember how to get into the common room, right?”

Lucas nodded, subconsciously tapping the knock pattern onto his thigh.

“Good.” Jungwoo squeezed his forearm before letting go.

Yukhei wasn’t sure he was fully aware what was going on, but he had clearly been uninvited from this conversation and so he forced his legs to move, carry him towards the door. Neither Jungwoo nor Donghyuck said anything until he reached the door, stepped through and pulled it shut behind himself.

And maybe it was that which made him hesitate once he stood outside. The moonlight tickled his skin as he looked along the length of the greenhouse. He knew he should have left. He knew it was wrong to listen in on a conversation he had been explicitly uninvited from, but the upper windows of the side wall were all cracked to allow ventilation and it was so easy to take cover below where the charred glass at the bottom would hide his form.

His thigh muscles protested him crouching down, but he paid the sting no mind as he peered over the blackened panels, past the grime and greenery. Inside the greenhouse, he could see Jungwoo bend down to play with the brown-spotted plant again, Donghyuck right next to him. Their voices barely carried through the open window, but straining his ears, Yukhei could just so make out what they were saying.

“I see you’ve shown Lucas the greenhouse.”

“Yes.” Jungwoo’s form was half-hidden behind a working table, but Yukhei could hear the shrug in his voice. It was weird, hearing his voice so flat when he was so sweet with Yukhei. “I thought I’d show him around before his first Herbology lesson tomorrow.” 

Donghyuck reached out to one of the potted plants hanging above their heads. “I see.”

There was little understanding in Donghyuck’s voice and Yukhei felt his shoulders draw up with tension. Jungwoo seemed to react the same as him, his posture rigid as he pulled himself to his feet.

“Why are you here, Donghyuck? Unless it’s to apologise for Yangyang’s behaviour earlier. Merlin knows, the stubborn quafflehead won’t do it himself.”

“Yangyang is just worried about you, Woo.” Their eyes met. “And I am, too.”

Yukhei would’ve let a hundred seedlings bite him if it meant erasing the pain from Jungwoo’s voice. “What are you trying to say?”

“You know what I’m saying. You’re not subtle, Woo, and I don’t think Lucas could hide his heart-eyes to save his life. You have to stop encouraging him.”

“—encouraging him?” Jungwoo echoed weakly.

Yukhei felt his stomach turn at the gentle edge to Donghyuck’s words, as if that could cushion the blow of his words when he said, “Don’t play dumb, Woo. We both know why he likes you so much. What you’re doing to him is cruel and it will only hurt you both. I’m here to tell you to put an end to it.”

“You—you have no right to say that.”

“Jungwoo, don’t get upset. I’m just trying to help you.”

“No.” Jungwoo rose to his feet and at his full height, he was almost half a head taller than Donghyuck. His hand was shaking as he jabbed it into Donghyuck’s chest. “I don’t care! I don’t care what you think! You can’t—you don’t know what Lucas feels for me! Stop saying such things!”

“Woo, I’m trying to help—”

“No!” Above Jungwoo’s head, Yukhei could see the plants curl in on themselves. “No, Donghyuck, I know why you’re doing what you’re doing and I’m telling you right now to stop. You’re not the only one that misses him, okay? He’s my best friend, too. But what happened does not give you the right to speak to me like that.”

“This is not about—”

“Oh, but it is! Everything is about Mark with you, Donghyuck, and I’m _sorry,_ I’m sorry about what happened with Daniel. If there was a spell or a curse to change things—change _me_ —I would have cast it a long time ago, but there isn’t and they’re not same. Lucas is different.”

Donghyuck raised himself up to his full height, unfurling like a cobra. His eyes were glimmering, tantalizing as he struck, “He will never love you, Jungwoo. Not really.”

Yukhei watched Jungwoo flinch, his head falling as the venom spread through his body. Like this, his silver hair obscured his face from Yukhei’s vision and Yukhei desperately wished he never would’ve left. He felt his heart slow to a halt when Jungwoo grew still, seconds passing like years until he lifted his head again. There was a shiver that went through Jungwoo, his hands shaking as he took a step backward and then two forward. 

“Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean all of us have to be, Donghyuck.”

“Woo!”

Yukhei could see Donghyuck reach out, maybe in apology, maybe in insistence, but Jungwoo pushed his hands away before he could hold onto him, their shoulders colliding as Jungwoo walked away with his strides long and his head held high.

Realising that Jungwoo was headed for the door, Yukhei pushed himself to his feet and ran along the side of the greenhouse until he could break onto the path that lead back to the castle. He prayed that the night would swallow his silhouette from sight. His thigh muscles protested the sudden sprint he fell into, but here was no time to acknowledge the pain.

He slipped into the castle through the same side door that Jungwoo had led him out of, his fingers shaking as he tapped the rhythm onto the stack of barrels in the basement corridor. When he passed through the common room, Felix waved at him from where he was sitting with Hyunjin and Beomgyu on the sofas at the back. Yukhei only spared them a fleeting smile before he headed straight for their dormitory.

His heartbeat was pounding loudly in his ears, only quieting once he had pulled the door shut behind him. There was little time so he stripped himself out of his robes as quickly as he could manage, shoving them into his trunk while pulling his pyjamas out at the same time.

Once he was changed, he all but dove onto his bed, wincing when he landed on his book bag. He pulled it out from under his stomach, opening it to check whether his weight had broken his ink bottle.

He found no spilled ink, but his attention was caught by the apple he had been trying to transform earlier that day. After a short, precious moment of contemplation, he took it out before dumping his bag by the side of his bed.

He picked up his wand from his bedside table, turning the apple in his hand. It was easy to channel some of the energy making his blood sizzle.

_“Fán huā sì jǐn.”_

A bright string of green light spilled from the tip of his wand, encompassing the apple until it had transformed from its original form into a flower. Its petals were the same shade of vibrant red as the skin of the apple had been, the stem delicate under his touch.

Careful not to crush it, Yukhei slid off his bed. He placed the flower on Jungwoo’s pillow before returning to his own bed. With the curtains of his bed drawn shut, he pretended to be asleep when the door of the dormitory opened again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did he just say the M-word?  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> 


	5. First Full Moon

Yukhei walked into the Great Hall alone. Jungwoo’s bed had been empty that morning when he had woken up, the curtains drawn and sheets neatly made. Yukhei had planned to wait for Jungwoo’s return, but eventually the gnawing feeling inside his stomach had pulled him out of bed.

He had already resorted himself to eating alone when he saw Yuqi wave at him from further down the Hufflepuff table. They only exchanged short greetings as it was still too early to attempt conversation, but Yukhei was happy to join her. He busied himself with loading his plate full while Yuqi tuned back into the conversation she was having with her friends.

Yukhei didn’t pay much attention to anything else that wasn’t his food. He only looked up when Yuqi called his name. He smiled when he realised that she was introducing him to her friends.

He had just raised his hand to wave when he was disrupted by a sharp, grating noise from above. Wincing, he whipped his head up and was promptly hit in the face by a gust of wind, feathers filling his vision before another caw disrupted the air and then there was a large, brown package falling towards his face.

He barely managed to catch it before it was followed by a letter landing right on his face. Huffing, Yukhei blew the envelope off before he looked down at the package in his arms. It was as heavy as it was large and he struggled to hold it out over the table for Yuqi to take.

She looked at him with wide eyes before she shook her head, pointing at the letter that had landed on the table between them. “No, it’s not mine. See, it says your name on the envelope.” 

Yukhei sat down the package on the bench next to him before he picked up the letter. Indeed, on the envelope were the letters that formed his name. With wide eyes, he turned it around to see whether there really wasn’t another addressee.

Yuqi laughed. “It’s for you, Lucas, and I think I know what it is already.”

Yukhei furrowed his brows, tracing the brown wrapping paper obscuring his gift before he focussed back on the envelope in his hands. He opened it first, pulling out the thick, embossed card.

_Dear Mr Wong,_

_I was recently informed you’ve been promoted to Chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. I can’t lie and say this particular piece of news didn’t delight me. As your sponsor, I see it as my responsibility to endow you with all the means necessary that you may excel in fulfilling your new role. Therefore, along with this note, Glory should’ve dropped off a rather sizable package. Enjoy your new gear, I do hope to get the chance to see you use it in the future._

_Wishing you the best._

_Your sponsor,_

Yukhei squinted at the scribbled signature at the bottom of the card, but he couldn’t make out what the letters said. He was about to ask Yuqi, but she was already leaning halfway over the table, her hands reverently patting the wrapping of the package.

Yukhei set the letter aside to pull on the strings holding it together, pushing the paper aside to reveal what was inside. His eyes grew wide as his eyes travelled over the sleek, lacquered wood and perfectly oiled bristles.

“Merlin,” he could hear one of Yuqi’s friends ask, “is that a Nimbus 3000?”

Yukhei lifted the broom out of its wrapping, feeling the wood come alive beneath his fingertips. The broom reacted to the slightest touch, hovering above his palms when he let go.

“Good,” he mumbled to himself, looking up when Yuqi let out a strangled noise.

Her eyes were huge, roaming over the broom over and over again. “It’s so beautiful, Lucas. Did your parents send you this?”

Yukhei hesitated a moment, thinking about the card from his sponsor. He nodded. It was the easiest explanation. He hated lying, but this was the answer that would lead to no further questions.

“Man, I wish I had rich parents.” There was nothing but awe in Yuqi’s voice. “I thought my parents were generous when they paid half of my Comet, but this thing is on another level.”

“Level?” Yukhei asked, feeling his heart seize. He could tell that the broom was expertly made, probably the closest he’d ever get to having a broom as good as his old Fenghuang again, but the thought of anyone spending an exorbitant amount of money on him made him feel nauseous.

“The Nimbus 3000 is 500 galleons at least. It’s the fastest model on the market right now. With this, you probably could outfly the Slytherin on their Firebolts. Your parents must really be proud of you.”

Yukhei nodded because he didn’t have any more words. The broom felt heavier in his hands than it had before. Swallowing, he set it down to inspect the rest of his package. There were shin pads and gloves, leather armour and a small vial of broom oil. At the very bottom, he found a small box of spicy nougat.

Yukhei tried hard to blink past the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to cry, but he felt overwhelmed. Someone had put together this package to help him and in the deepest part of his heart, he selfishly wished that it really had been his parents who had sent him this. He wished that the card would’ve born his father’s handwriting and that his mother had been the one to smuggle in the chocolates. 

But none of his family was going to send him anything. His parents knew that he was alive, but they still had to treat him like a dead son. He was a dead son, a dead brother and a dead disciple. No one sent mail to the dead.

Yukhei put everything back into the package as neatly as he could before he hoisted up the box and excused himself from the table. The sixth-year Hufflepuff dormitory was empty when he arrived and he wasted no time dropping the package on top of his trunk before he let himself fall down on his bed. 

His insides felt raw, his skin itchy and he knew that it was due to the full moon only hours away. For a moment, he contemplated going to Taeil’s office early, asking to be admitted to the infirmary under the guise of a stomach bug or something similar, but then he decided to pull himself together.

“Lucas?”

Yukhei lifted his head from his pillow at the sound of Jungwoo’s voice, feeling his heart skip a beat as he watched the other boy approach his bed. Jungwoo’s steps became quicker the closer he grew and then he was flopping down on the edge of Yukhei’s mattress, mustering him with worried eyes.

Yukhei couldn’t help the small moan that escaped him when Jungwoo’s wonderfully cold hand pressed against his forehead. “Merlin, Lucas, are you okay? You feel feverish. Your eyes are all red.”

Yukhei quickly shook his head. “Fine.” 

Jungwoo looked doubtful, his eyes falling to the floor in thought as his fingers moved to stroke Yukhei’s hair out of his face, his fingertips following the line of Yukhei’s hair to his cheekbone. Yukhei could tell the exact moment Jungwoo seemed to realise what he was doing by how abruptly he pulled his hand away, pushing himself to his feet at once.

Yukhei longed to take Jungwoo’s hand and ask him to continue, but that would have been close to admitting that he was actually on the verge of being sick and that was not something he could allow himself. 

With Jungwoo’s hands on his skin, it was easy to forget what had happened to him, what was waiting for him once the sun set, but there was no running from his lycanthropy. It was a burden he had to carry and he had to do so on his own. Someone as good and kind as Jungwoo should never waste time even worrying about him, so Yukhei rolled himself out of bed.

“Class?” he asked with his brightest smile.

The expression came easier to him once Jungwoo’s own softened, his silver hair falling into his forehead as he nodded.

“We should hurry.” Jungwoo pulled a pair of gardening gloves from his pocket and dropped them onto his bed in favour of picking up his book bag. “It’s not good to be tardy.”

Yukhei nodded. “Not good.”

He was eternally relieved when he saw Jungwoo smile at his parroted words. 

It wasn’t until they were passing through the common room that Yukhei noticed Jungwoo hadn’t taken his hand like he usually did when they walked together. 

*

Yukhei could feel his core temperature rise during his morning classes, sweat gathering at his brows and soaking the undershirt he wore under his school robes. His tie felt too tight no matter how many times he loosened the knot and by the time he had made it to his last class of the day, he felt as if his stomach was digesting itself.

"All right?" Jungwoo asked him as they settled into their seats. It wasn't the first time he asked.

Yukhei smiled. He tried hard to ignore the way the other and its rage pressed against his skin from the inside, ready to break out. He pointed at the steam rising from the cauldron between them. "Hot." He fanned his face as if it was the steam making his blood cook.

Jungwoo didn't seem convinced but that was the best Yukhei could do in that moment. He was relieved when Jungwoo let it go, redirecting his attention to the cauldron in front of them. Yukhei was more than happy to make himself useful, doing the bulk of the practical magic required for their potion to succeed while Jungwoo noted down their progress and read out the instructions. He kept shooting Yukhei worried glances from time to time, but Yukhei always cancelled them out with a smile, if it was getting harder each time.

 _Soon,_ he tried to soothe himself. Soon he'd have lunch and then it would be afternoon and after his tutoring session he'd be able to go to Taeil's office. Taeil would help him. He was a friend of the doctor's, after all. Until then he had to keep himself together, follow the lesson as best as he could.

He breathed with relief when the Potions professor finally released them, eager to pull off his tie as he stumbled after Jungwoo out of the dungeon. 

Later, he’d blame the blood rushing in his ears in that moment that he didn’t notice the person walking up to him from behind, one arm coming down on his shoulders with enough force to bring them both to a halt. 

Jungwoo stopped when Yukhei did, all three of them remaining behind while the rest of their class moved along the corridor, eager to get to lunch.

“Lucas!” Daniel’s grin was blinding. “How have you been, man?”

“Good.” Yukhei shrugged and tried to shrug off Daniel’s arm, but the Gryffindor’s arm stayed where it was.

“That’s good to hear! We haven’t gotten a chance to talk since our last Divination lesson, but then I suppose Jungwoo here has preoccupied a lot of your time.”

Yukhei felt dread settle in his stomach at the sudden glint in Daniel’s eyes. He managed to finally free himself from the Gryffindor’s grip right as Daniel took a step forward, coming face to face with Jungwoo.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit selfish, Jungwoo? Keeping him all to yourself like that? But then, I suppose you just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Jungwoo’s gaze flickered to the side to meet Yukhei’s eyes before he looked back at Daniel. He jutted out his chin, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Lucas spends time with whoever he wants to.”

His tone was as harsh as Yukhei had hoped it would be, but there was a quiver to his voice as if he didn’t believe in what he was saying. As if he was scared.

Daniel laughed, shaking his head as if they were all in on the same joke. There was no humour in his voice when he all but spit, “As if he has a choice.”

Jungwoo blanched, stumbling backwards. Yukhei felt his blood boil for a different reason than his impending transformation. He pushed his hand into his pocket, ready to pull his wand.

Before he could, there was an explosion at the end of the corridor and then there were fireworks filling the spaces between him and Daniel and Jungwoo, forcing them all several steps apart. Yukhei struggled to swat the sparks out of his face until they burned out on their own. By the time he finally managed to blink past the white spots in his vision, he was surrounded by green.

“This is the Slytherin Dungeon,” Donghyuck’s voice sounded from behind him until he was slipping between him Jungwoo to stand in front of them. “You shouldn’t linger, Gryffindor.”

“Seo.” Daniel scoffed. His eyes were still closed but it seemed like he had no problem placing Donghyuck’s voice with its owner. “Isn’t that a bit hypocritical of you to say when I know Yangyang is right there?” Daniel blinked his eyes open, the corners of his mouth pulling into a mirthless smile when he found his fellow Gryffindor. He raised a single eyebrow before he looked back at Donghyuck. “See?”

“Don’t make me kick you in the nuts again, Daniel.” Yangyang twirled his wand in his hand and though the fireworks had ceased, the sparks were still in his eyes. “It got so unpretty the last time.”

“It’s such a shame, really, that you’re wasting all your time with snakes, Yangyang.” Daniel's eyes passed over them all before they settled on Jungwoo. “Well, lots of snakes and one whore.”

Yukhei didn’t recognise the last word that Daniel had spoken, but he saw the way Jungwoo flinched back violently enough that he stumbled into Jisung standing behind him. While Chenle and Jisung steadied him, Donghyuck and Yangyang raised their wands, the air prickling with the smell of metal salts ready to ignite.

Before any of them could utter a spell, Yukhei pushed himself to the front. He pulled himself up to his full height and savoured every single centimetre he had on Daniel.

The other’s disdain was visible in the narrow of his eyes, distaste making the edges of his mouth curl as he kept looking at Jungwoo. "Be careful, Lucas, you don't want to get to close to our charming Jungwoo over here. He might ruin your life.”

Yukhei shook his head. He didn’t have many words, but he had enough to say this, “You,” he gestured at Daniel before pointing at himself, “and I are no friends.”

Daniel’s mouth dropped open, but it was only a split second before he was grinning again. This time, there was no kindness in his eyes as he spoke, “These people will chew you up and spit you out, Lucas. You think they are your friends? They’ll leave you for dead when the time comes.”

 _I’m already dead,_ Yukhei thought grimly. Because he had no words, he spoke with his body and turned sideways, allowing Daniel the space to leave.

He could feel Daniel stare at him, but Yukhei rigorously kept his eyes on the ground until the Gryffindor had passed him, their shoulders knocking together in the process. Every of Daniel’s retreating steps echoed painfully against the back of Yukhei’s skull and he didn’t dare raise his head again until they had faded. 

“Are you all right?”

Yukhei looked up to find that Jungwoo had fallen back against the wall closest to them, Donghyuck hovering above him. 

“I’m fine.” Jungwoo pushed off Donghyuck’s arm.

“Woo.”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now, Donghyuck. You didn’t have to come in swinging your wand like that. I could have—” Jungwoo’s voice broke and he shook his head. His voice was too quiet when he continued, too watery. “I could have told him off myself.”

“But you wouldn’t have.” Donghyuck’s voice was so soft that it made Yukhei blink in surprise. He wondered, whether that was what lay behind the cold-blooded front the Slytherin usually put on. “You wouldn’t have because you think he’s right calling you those names and he’s not, Woo.”

Jungwoo scoffed, but it was a half-hearted sound. “That’s not what you said yesterday.”

Yukhei watched as Donghyuck leaned forward, moving slowly but surely as he pulled Jungwoo against his chest. Jungwoo let it happen. He was almost as tall as Yukhei which made him several centimetres taller than Donghyuck, but Donghyuck still managed to hook his chin over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Woo. I thought I was doing what was necessary, but really I was an utter asshole and I hurt you. Can you forgive me?”

Over Donghyuck’s shoulder, Jungwoo met the eyes of Yangyang, Chenle and Jisung who were all watching him with matching pleading expressions. Jungwoo rolled his eyes but then he wrapped his arms around Donghyuck’s middle.

“Will you also apologise for throwing mashed potatoes at me when I was twelve?”

The smile that bloomed on Donghyuck’s face was brilliant, the abundance of silver in his ears and around his fingers glinting in the light of the torches lining the walls. “Never.”

Jungwoo let out a sigh, but it was a light-hearted sound. Yukhei felt the pain in his chest subside as he watched Jungwoo and Donghyuck squeeze the merry life out of each other.

Jungwoo eventually freed himself when Donghyuck tried to kiss his cheek, walking away a couple of steps before Donghyuck caught him again. Yangyang took Jungwoo’s other side and Jisung skipped after them. Yukhei was about to follow when Chenle grasped onto his arm, his expression uncharacteristically somber.

_“Are you okay?”_

_“I’m fine.”_ It was easier to lie in his mother tongue, but he wasn’t lying because of what had happened with Jungwoo and Daniel anymore, so he didn’t feel as bad.

_“You shouldn’t talk to Daniel anymore.”_

Yukhei furrowed his brows. He had drawn the same conclusion for himself, but it was weird hearing Chenle tell him so directly. _“Why do you hate him so much?”_

 _“Donghyuck hates him.”_ Chenle shrugged as if that was explanation enough and then his ever-present smile returned, a low giggle escaping him as he hooked his arm into Yukhei’s. _“Come on, we’re falling behind!”_

Yukhei let himself be pulled along.

*

He liked the library. He liked the way the shelves upon shelves around them swallowed sound and filled the air with the smell of parchment instead. Libraries were the same, Yukhei figured, no matter where in the world he was. 

It was interesting, seeing someone who existed as loudly as Yangyang move in such a space. He wondered, how good of an idea it was to bring someone who liked fireworks so much into a room filled with paper. 

"What?" Yangyang raised an eyebrow as he dropped himself into the seat opposite of Yukhei, the books in his hands falling onto the table top with a low thud. "Are you surprised to see me?" 

Yukhei nodded. He felt like Yangyang would appreciate honesty.

He seemed to be right judging by the smile that appeared on Yangyang's face. "Renjun is busy and Chenle is off frolicking about with Jisung, so you'll have the pleasure of my company this afternoon. _Don't worry, I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun."_

Yukhei reeled when he realised that Yangyang had spoken Chinese. _"You speak--"_

 _"Yep."_ Yangyang's smile broadened into a grin. _"I speak many languages and this is one of them, lucky you."_

_"Why didn't you say something?"_

_"Why didn't you ask me?"_ Yangyang gave back in the exact same tone of voice. 

He pulled an apple out of his bag and placed it in front of Yukhei. _"Apart from the worksheet Renjun made you, your sweetie told me to teach you the Avifors spell, so we're going to start with that."_

Yukhei picked up the apple, feeling his ears burn as he rubbed his thumb over the red skin. _"Jungwoo is not my, uhm, my sweetie."_

_"You keep telling yourself that, big boy."_ Yangyang seemed thorougly unbothered as he picked up one of the books he had brought. When he looked up to meet Yukhei's eyes, his gaze was sharp, however. _"Whatever you think is or isn't between Woo and you, if you hurt him I won't hesitate to break your legs, I hope you know that. I took down Daniel and you're not that much bigger than him."_

Yukhei swallowed as Yangyang sized him up. 

_"Also you've got a weak leg. Your left one. I'd have you on the ground writhing in two seconds flat."_

Yukhei felt his blood run cold, his hand reflexively wandering to cup his left knee. _"How--"_

_"How do I know that your left leg is weaker? Don't feel flattered, I come to know everyone's weak spot by time. Now focus on your task. I don't get free cake if I'm not nice to people, so take out your wand. I have to teach you."_

With nothing left to say, Yukhei did as he was told. He was surprised to find that, despite his brash tendencies, Yangyang was very good at explaining things. 

Yukhei clutched his wand tightly, staring at the apple so intensely he thought he might end up being the one to set something on fire. 

_"You have to cast the spell with conviction. If you don't believe it will work, it won't. The spell is merely a directive, you're the one that holds magic. Say it with confidence and watch what will happen.”_

Yukhei nodded, feeling grim as he pointed his wand at the apple.

"Avifors," he enunciated as clearly as possible. 

Light spilled from his wand, blinding before it faded out. 

"Well," Yangyang said as he picked up the apple, “you turned it purple. That's something!" 

Yukhei withstood the urge to dump his head on the table. _"Maybe I'm just a bad transformationist."_

 _"Or maybe you're just a whiny baby."_ Yangyang threw him the apple, switching tongues again, "Try again." 

Yukhei did, gritting his teeth. This time, the spell didn’t do much more than cloud them in smoke.

_“You still have to mind your pronounciation. If you cast magic and it's misdirected, I'm not the one cleaning up your mess."_

_Don’t get frustrated,_ Yukhei could hear another voice echo in his head, just as teasing, just as little patience in its tone, _you’ll get it right if you just concentrate. You want to be First, don’t you? Then stop moping and pull yourself together._

Yukhei took a deep breath, flexing his fingers around his wand before directing at the apple once more. He thought about wings fluttering, about laughter echoing in empty halls, about twittering in the night before he had hit the cold, hard ground.

_“Avifors.”_

He heard twittering in the library where the books swallowed all other sound. Yukhei’s eyes widened as he stared at the small, blue bird that was sitting on the table where the apple had been, its golden breast feathers puffing out when Yangyang let out a triumphant yell.

“You did it!”

Yukhei felt his heart seize in his chest with how rapidly it was beating. “I did it.”

Yangyang cooed as he coaxed the bird onto his left palm, conjuring a cage with the wand in his right. He set the bird onto the wooden perch, booping its head before he closed the cage door.

“It’s not a sparrow but it should be good enough for Professor Hani. What do you want to name it?”

“Hendery.” The name came to Yukhei without a second thought.

“Henry?”

“No, Hendery.” Yukhei sounded it out for him.

“Hendery,” Yangyang gave back correctly before scrunching up his nose. _“What kind of name is that?”_

Yukhei shrugged, pretending it didn’t hurt as much as it did. _“It’s my brother’s middle name.”_

_“You have a brother?”_

Yukhei nodded. 

_“I didn’t know that.”_ Yangyang’s eyebrows drew together before they smoothed out. _“Where is he?”_

Yukhei closed his eyes. He was talking too much, telling Yangyang too much but it felt so good, talking about Kunhang. _“He’s not here. He-he didn’t move with me. He stayed home.”_

 _“Oh,”_ Yangyang bit the inside of his cheek before he patted Yukhei’s forearm. _“I’m sorry, dude. Maybe he can come visit you some time?”_

Yukhei closed his eyes. He was talking too much, telling Yangyang too much bit it felt so good, talking about Kunhang. Talking about him as if Yukhei could still reach him.

_“Yes, maybe some time.”_

_“Until then you’ve got this little dude to keep you company, he’s a…uh…”_

_“It’s a blue flycatcher.”_ Yukhei smiled at the bird, laughing when it fluttered its wings. 

Yangyang nodded. _“A blue flycatcher. Not quite a sparrow, but it’s good enough.”_

*

Yukhei arrived at Professor Moon’s office with five minutes to spare. The door was closed, no sound coming from behind it, so Yukhei raised his fist to knock. His knuckles had barely grazed the wood when the door opened.

“Oh, Renjun!” Yukhei hurried to step aside and make enough space for the other boy to pass.

“Hey, Lucas.” Renjun shot him a small smile but didn’t stop to greet him properly. Yukhei’s widened when he saw how red Renjun’s nose and eyes were, his fists white-knuckled where he was clutching a small paper bag to his chest.

Renjun had already slipped past him before Yukhei could do so much as open his mouth, disappearing down the corridor with long strides.

“Come on in, Mr Wong.”

Yukhei quickly lowered it as he entered the professor’s office. Taeil seemed unaffected where he was sitting behind his desk.

“Would you like some lemon drops?” He pointed at the plate in the middle of the table.

Yukhei shook his head. “Renjun okay?” he asked, feeling his heart tug him back onto the corridor.

Taeil’s smile dimmed. “I’d ask you to worry for no one but yourself tonight, Mr Wong. Do you feel prepared?”

Yukhei nodded. There was no preparing himself for what the full moon would do to him, but if he couldn’t soothe his own nerves, he’d at least want to soothe the nerves of his teacher.

“All right, then.” Taeil rose from his seat, walking around the table to take the lead. “Madame Yoona has already prepared the infirmary for your arrival come morning. Our dear Taeyong has written us both extensive letters on how to care for you, so we shall meet the full moon with a brave face.”

Something about his own words made the professor giggle. Yukhei didn’t attempt to understand why. He understood that the doctor was still caring for him and that was all the consolation he needed.

He had expected Taeil to lead him out of the castle so he wouldn’t run the danger of hurting anyone inside, but once they had entered the grand staircase, the professor lead him up instead of down. They climbed up the stairs to the seventh floor and Yukhei felt nervous when Taeil lead him through the corridors until they came to a halt in front of a plain wall.

“We used to have a different sanctuary for your kind, but its seal was broken once before and we’d rather not run the risk of that happening again.” Taeil smiled. “Take a step back, Mr Wong, for I’ll be the one to require it.”

Yukhei felt lost, but he did as he was told and watched as the professor paced up and down along the wall, silent words spilling over his lips. He wasn’t holding his wand and yet—

“Woah.” Yukhei’s jaw dropped as he watched the bricks of the wall move, rearrange to give way to a door just high enough to allow them both through.

Professor Moon laughed, offering Yukhei his hand. “This is the Room of Requirement. It shapes itself to its user’s needs, so with a little bit of luck, we shall find what we need behind the door.”

Yukhei nodded and took the professor’s hand. He was about to open the door when the professor’s grip suddenly became painfully tight. Yukhei looked up and felt his heartbeat cut out when he saw that the professor’s eyes were white where they had been brown.

_“The forest isn’t safe, but the lion and the snake will save you.”_

“W-what?” Yukhei blinked, tried to free himself once more and this time he was successful. He looked at the red spots on his wrist, looked back up to find that the professor’s pupils had returned to their original colour.

He was looking at Yukhei as if nothing had happened at all and Yukhei didn’t have the words to explain what he had just witnessed, so he simply gaped.

“Do your teeth hurt, Mr Wong? Is it the oncoming transformation?”

Yukhei snapped his jaw shut, quickly shaking his head.

He watched, still in disbelief, as the professor smiled at him and opened the door. “After you, then.”

Yukhei stepped through. His mouth dropped open for a different reason as he took in his surrounding. They had passed over the threshold right onto a meadow, thick trees lining its borders. High up above, where the ceiling should have been, was the night sky.

“Outside,” he breathed.

“Not quite.” Taeil shook his head. “I suppose it’s the same illusion that charms our Great Hall, but for our purposes it will do. Do you feel like you can transform here?”

Yukhei nodded. He’d expected to be locked away in the dungeon, or in a cage on the grounds charmed with enough locking spells to hold him. Here, he could run and not ever run into someone. He wouldn’t hurt anybody but himself. It was perfect.

“Thank you,” was all he could think to say.

The professor’s expression softened. “We can not take your suffering from you, Mr Wong, but we will do all that is in our power to alleviate it. Is there anything on you that you’d like me to keep safe?”

Yukhei shook his head. He owned nothing important. All of the things that had ever held value to him, he had left behind.

“Good, then I shall leave.” Taeil looked upwards, where the sky was turning from purple to black. “I will come and find you as soon as the sun has risen.”

Yukhei nodded and watched the professor pass through the door, standing frameless in the middle of the meadow. He undressed as soon as the door had closed behind Taeil, the sound of the lock giving Yukhei peace of mind. He left his clothes near the threshold before he wandered into the woods surrounding him. He would’ve hated for the other to tear them apart, not when they had been given to him by the doctor and were so undoubtedly expensive.

Once he had reached the centre of the meadow, he let himself fall onto his back. He let the sky pass by his eyes, running his hand over his chest. It was human, his skin and his ribs, this body of his. Rolling onto his side, he curled in on himself and closed his eyes.

Naked and alone, he waited for the full moon to take him.

*

The first thing that returned to him was the sensation of touch, a hand on his forehead, followed by fabric covering the rest of his skin. Unable to open his eyes, he groaned. There was not a part of his body that didn’t ache, a bone deep soreness that would persist as long as his bones hadn’t properly settled back into their sockets.

Wetness was dripping down his torso and legs. He could feel himself bleed from the deep gashes that the other had inflicted on his skin in desperate, fruitless search for flesh to infect. There was a sound that came from his throat, something that was neither a wolfish growl nor a human whimper.

The hand on his forehead returned.

“It’s okay now, Mr Wong. You’ve made it through.” Yukhei could here the mutterings of a spell and then he was weightless, his body lifting off the ground. “We will have reached the infirmary in no time.”

Yukhei didn’t manage to hold onto consciousness long enough to thank the professor.

*

The second time, he woke up, he woke up to a lithic ceiling above him and a mattress beneath him. The infirmary, he remembered. A short look around reassured him that he was indeed still inside castle walls. The curtains around his bed were closed and Yukhei felt gratitude, the only emotion inside him apart from hunger. It was strong enough to force his jaw open, his eyes desperately searching for anything he could eat to quell it.

His eyes zeroed in on the box of chocolates someone had left by his bedside and he didn’t hesitate to rip the package open and shove as many of the chocolates into his mouth as he could fit. Sticky sweetness smeared all around his mouth, stuck his fingers together, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care when the sugar made his taste buds explode and his stomach pull together at the arrival of food in his system.

He must’ve made noise, because shortly after he had finished off the box of chocolates, the curtain around his bed was drawn open and he came face to face with a witch in white robes.

She roamed her eyes over his form and Yukhei self-consciously tried to cover his chocolate-smeared mouth.

His efforts made her laugh. “It’s okay, Mr Wong, the chocolates were for you. Healer Lee advised that you’d wake up needing something to dig your teeth into. How do you feel?”

Yukhei looked down at himself. He was sore all over, but his open wounds had been treated and he felt strong enough to walk on his own.

“Good.”

The nurse smiled. “I’m very glad to hear that. From what I can tell, your body has endured the strain of the shift without any lasting injuries. If you feel up to it, you may dress yourself and see whether you make it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast.”

Yukhei nodded eagerly. He had spent too much time in sick rooms. He wanted to return to normalcy as fast as possible. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Mr Wong. Should you feel any unusual pain or tiredness, don’t hesitate to come back.”

Yukhei nodded dutifully, waited until the nurse had left before he reached for the clothes Professor Moon had put onto the chair by his bed. The effort of dressing himself was enough to leave him breathless, but Yukhei didn’t sit down again.

Instead, he made sure that the knot of his tie sat properly against his throat before he pushed the curtain aside and stepped onto the aisle between the infirmary beds. The sun falling in through the windows left his skin itching and his pace was much slower than usual, but he could walk on his own and so he carried himself out of the infirmary with his head held high. 

The stairs were another ordeal, every step causing his thigh muscles to scream in protest, but eventually he had made it to the ground floor. He was surprised to find that the entrance hall was bustling with students, the air filled with screams and chatter as they all crowded around the centre of the commotion.

Unable to see past this many people, Yukhei turned towards the first Hufflepuff he could find. He vaguely recalled the girl’s face from around the common room and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around and Yukhei hoped there was no chocolate left on his face as he smiled.

“What happens?” he asked, pointing at the crowd in front of them.

The Hufflepuff girl laughed, her eyes glimmering with excitement. “Haven’t you heard? Mark Lee is back!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID SHE JUST SAY THE M-WORD?  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> 


	6. The Clever

In the centre of the crowd, Yukhei found Jeno and Jaemin, squashing between them a lithe boy with raven-black hair and round wire glasses. He seemed to be the cause for all the commotion, his nose scrunched up with the force of his laughter as he tried to free himself. He didn’t stand a chance against Jeno’s swaying embrace though, the force with which Jaemin smothered the side of his face in kisses.

“Mark Lee is back everybody!” Jaemin exclaimed, which made the students around them laugh.

Jaemin beamed under the on-slaught of attention, pinching Mark’s cheek. “And doesn’t he look so handsome?”

The crowd whooped and Mark’s ears turned red. “Nana!” he whined out rather loudly, but his eyes were bright with laughter still.

“No, let us look at you, Markie! What did they give you to eat over there in Ilvermorny, huh? Did you represent us well? Did you best all their brightest? Oh, I just know you did!”

Jaemin and Jeno went in on Mark again, making the crowd laugh with their teasing shenanigans until they were all overtoned by Chenle’s shrill voice calling out Mark’s name.

Yukhei turned his head to find him standing at the foot of the stairs that lead to the Slytherin Dungeon, wedged in between Jisung and Renjun while Donghyuck was standing a couple of steps in front of them. Judging by the way their chests were heaving, they must have run.

“Mark!” Chenle called out again, looking excited as he struggled against the grip Renjun had on his arm. Renjun didn’t budge, didn’t even look at Chenle when Chenle whined at him.

Renjun’s eyes were on Donghyuck, who was looking at Mark.

Around them, the crowd went quiet. Yukhei felt himself holding his breath.

“Donghyuck!” Mark’s voice was breathless, though that might have been Jeno’s fault, who was still hugging him across the chest.

Jeno let go of Mark as the other boy stumbled forward. Mark caught himself before he was making his way through the crowd with long strides. The inner linings of his robes, Yukhei noticed, were sapphire blue.

Mark came to a halt a metre in front of Donghyuck. His chest rose with the abundance of words seemingly bubbling up in him. Donghyuck took them from him.

“What are you doing here?” Donghyuck jutted out his chin. “It’s not December yet.”

Mark smiled, his shoulders drawing up in a shrug. “I missed you.”

Donghyuck shook his head, his lips pressing together in a tight line, keeping in words he didn’t want to let escape. It was a valiant effort on Donghyuck’s part to keep up his cold front, but something had changed about him, something intangible and yet unmissable. As much as it seemed that Donghyuck wanted to cover it up with faux annoyance, Yukhei could see it in his eyes.

He looked alive.

Despite the way the rest of the students had slowly inched away from Donghyuck’s closer proximity, Mark didn’t seem afraid as he took another step forward and placed his hand against the side of Donghyuck’s neck.

His eyes were bright with the same joy that Donghyuck was trying so hard to hide, a bout of laughter escaping him before he drew Donghyuck into a hug. “Don’t be mad now, Donghyuck. I’ve come back. You’ll have to forgive me.”

Donghyuck remained frozen for another heartbeat before a shudder went through him and then he was clinging onto Mark with the same zeal with which Mark was lifting him off his feet.

“I really fucking missed you, Duckie,” was the last thing Yukhei could hear Mark say before they were buried by Chenle, Jisung and Renjun joining their hug. 

It looked almost comical, the way they all seemed eager to pat and tug on a piece of Mark while Mark was still holding onto Donghyuck like a man drowning.

“All right everyone!” Jaemin’s voice cut through the crowd. “Nothing more to see here! Let’s give Mark some space!”

“Class starts soon!” Jeno’s voice supported him. “Don’t make me take house points away from anyone for tardiness!”

Yukhei felt the crowd around him disperse, even the most zealous spectators leaving when it became clear that Mark wasn’t going to pay attention to anyone else any time soon.

Yukhei thought about letting himself be swept into the Great Hall with the rest of the students who hadn’t had breakfast yet, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder, Jeno’s kind eyes staring back at him when he turned his head. Yukhei followed him without having to be asked, grateful to find guidance.

“Lucas!” Chenle greeted him as soon as he spotted him. “We missed you at breakfast!

“We did.” Donghyuck’s eyes roamed over his frame before he met Yukhei’s eyes. “Jungwoo was worried, he said you didn’t come back from detention last night. Is everything okay?”

Yukhei hurried to nod, trying to look sheepish instead of tired as he rubbed the back of his head. “Everything okay. Fell asleep on professor’s sofa. Sorry.”

He was thankful when Chenle laughed at his supposed mishap, dissipating the worry in the air.

“Moon’s incense got to you, huh?” Jaemin was grinning from ear to ear as he threw one arm over Chenle’s shoulder and the other over Renjun’s.

It didn’t stay there for very long as Renjun promptly elbowed him in the stomach, causing Jaemin to double over.

“Oh, Renjun!” Jaemin clutched his heart instead of his stomach. “Why must you treat me so harshly?”

“Nana,” Jeno chided him.

“Are you mad that I gave Mark a welcome smooch? I solemnly swear I didn’t mean anything by it! You know you’re the only in my heart!”

Renjun rolled his eyes.

“Where is Jungwoo?” Mark’s question made everyone go quiet.

“Mark,” Donghyuck cleared his throat, “have you met Lucas?”

Mark shook his head, his eyes filling with curiosity as he turned to look at Yukhei.

Yukhei did his best to smile. “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

“Lucas transferred into Hogwarts at the beginning of October.”

“Another late arrival?” Mark’s expression brightened as he took Yukhei’s hand, shaking it eagerly. “What’s up, man? I’m Mark.”

Yukhei took care to pronounce his words clearly, “Nice to meet you.” Then he thought of the commotion Mark’s arrival had caused earlier. “Famous?”

Mark laughed, his ears turning red as he shook his head. “No, I’m not. I was just away for some time and people got excited, I guess.”

“Mark is too modest.” Jaemin grinned at his friend. “He’s one of our brightest, hard not to be when you’re Taeyong Lee’s protégé.”

Yukhei’s heart stuttered at the mention of the doctor’s name. He hadn’t expected for his new friends to known much about Taeyong. He had known that Renjun was Sicheng’s brother, but the way Jaemin talked about Taeyong was so reverent. Then, Yukhei supposed that he felt the same. It also reminded him of how mangled he felt, now that the excitement around him wasn’t loud enough to drown out the ache in his bones anymore.

Still, he made an effort to smile as Mark whined at Jaemin, and then felt his heart skip a beat when Mark suddenly stilled, his eyes fixing on something behind Yukhei’s shoulder. Yukhei followed his gaze to find Jungwoo, standing in between the doors of the Great Hall.

Jungwoo looked like he had seen a ghost, his mouth ajar and skin ashen. Worried, Yukhei wanted to go over, but he was held back by Renjun’s arm on his elbow.

 _“Hey!”_ Yukhei frowned at him. _“What are you doing?”_

Renjun’s eyes were intense when he met Yukhei’s gaze. _“I know you hate it, but you have to let this happen.”_

_“Let what happen?”_

Renjun nodded at where Mark had stepped out of their circle to approach Jungwoo, his steps hesitant before they became more assertive. The closer he came, the more Jungwoo paled.

Yukhei felt his stomach pull taut with worry. _“Is he gonna hurt him?”_

_“I don’t know.”_

_“You don’t know?”_ Yukhei tried to free himself again, but Renjun’s grip was iron-tight.

Helplessly, he watched as Mark came to a halt not a metre in front of Jungwoo, reaching for him as he said his name again. Tears were shining in Jungwoo’s eyes and then he was moving, but he was not moving in Mark’s direction. Instead, he was fast approaching the stairs, his robes swishing behind him as he all but sprinted up the steps.

This time, Yukhei tore himself free from Renjun’s grip and took off after him. Every single muscle in his body protested the sudden strain, his vision nearly blackening with the wave of nausea that crashed over him as he reached the top of the first flight of stairs, but he supported himself on the railing and hurried on.

“Jungwoo!” he called out at the same time as Mark, a staircase beneath them and halted by the Grand Staircase shifting. Donghyuck was right behind him, keeping Mark from jumping the distance between the top of the stairs and the platform by throwing his arms around him from behind.

Jungwoo didn’t seem to hear either of them. Yukhei cursed as he just so managed to reach the third floor after him before the stairs beneath them were shifting again. He called out Jungwoo’s name once more but could only run after him when Jungwoo disappeared down the hallway.

He was pouring sweat, his heart beating so fast in his chest he thought it might explode, but all he could think about was the haunted expression in Jungwoo’s eyes. Yukhei rounded the corner, frantically looking down the seemingly empty hallway when he saw one of the doors to his right click shut.

Slowing his step, he sucked some air back into his lungs as he approached the door with long strides. It led him into a bathroom, his eyes roaming over the open stall doors before he checked the basins to the side.

Jungwoo was sitting between two of them, his face buried in his hands. Yukhei fell to his knees and tried to pull Jungwoo’s quivering form into his arm.

“No!” Jungwoo tried to push him off. “Leave me alone, leave me—”

“I’m not Mark!”

Jungwoo flinched, his eyes flying open before they filled with tears again. Where he had been pressing himself further into the wall, he all but fell into Yukhei’s lap.

“No, you’re not,” he hiccuped. “Merlin, I’m so sorry, Lucas, I promise I know you’re not.”

Yukhei blinked when Jungwoo grasped onto his face, pushed Yukhei’s hair behind his ears over and over in a gesture that seemed to be soothing him more than it was Yukhei. “You’re not Mark.” Jungwoo nodded more to himself than at Yukhei before he tried to smile. “I’m really sorry. You-you didn’t have to come after me.”

Yukhei shook his head, not allowing Jungwoo the lie. “Help?” he asked, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt.

“Uhm,” Jungwoo sniffled, looking bashful as he lowered his eyes to wipe at them. “Maybe a bit of toilet paper?”

Yukhei pulled his wand and conjured a tissue, handing it over.

“Don’t…cry,” he tried as he sat down next to Jungwoo, pulling his long legs against his chest.

Jungwoo shook his head before he dumped it onto Yukhei’s shoulder. Yukhei wondered how long he could hold his breath so he didn’t run the risk of accidentally moving his shoulder and pushing Jungwoo off.

“I didn’t mean to, I just—I thought I’d have more time.”

“Time?”

“To think about what I’d want to say to Mark. He wasn’t supposed to come back until the end of the year, but now he’s here and I feel like no time has passed at all and I’m not—I’m not ready to face him yet.”

“Mark is important?” It wasn’t really a question.

“He’s my best friend.” There was a smile in Jungwoo’s voice, even past the tears, even if it fell a heartbeat later. “Or he was. I’m not really sure whether he still wants me in his life.” In a whisper, he added, “I’m scared to know the answer.”

“Jungwoo,” Yukhei knew it was selfish to ask, but he was burning with curiosity, “what—”

The both of them flinched when the door to the bathroom flew open and in stumbled Mark, shortly followed by Donghyuck, who looked about ready to pull Mark backwards out of the room by the hood of his robes.

“Mark Lee, I swear to Merlin if you don’t calm—”

Donghyuck’s words got stuck in the back of his throat when his eyes fell onto Jungwoo before they flickered to the back of Mark’s head. The way his eyes narrowed told Yukhei that Donghyuck didn’t know either, what Mark was going to do. Yukhei could feel Jungwoo tense against his side.

Inconspicuously, he pushed his hand into his wand pocket. He was in bad condition, but if it came down to it, he could try to hold both Mark and Donghyuck off, at least long enough for Jungwoo to find another bathroom to cry in.

“Jungwoo.” Mark’s chest was heaving as he came closer, slowly this time. “Please, don’t run.”

Jungwoo struggled to his feet, using Yukhei’s shoulder for balance. His lips pressed together as he quickly shook his head. “I won’t.”

Jungwoo was clearly trying to pull himself together, jutting out his chin and straightening his shoulders, but there were new tears welling up in his eyes and Yukhei could see Mark’s heart break along with his own at the sight.

“Woo,” he whispered, “why are you crying?”

Jungwoo shrugged, looking down at his hands. 

“Are you—”

“I understand it if you hate me!” Jungwoo’s voice was too loud in the empty bathroom, breaking on the last syllable.

Yukhei grabbed onto the edge of the basin next to his head to pull himself to his feet, ignoring the way his legs threatened to give out under him, but he had to be there. He had to be there if Mark was going to hurt Jungwoo.

“I don’t— _Woo,_ ” Mark’s eyes widened in shock, “I don’t hate you.”

Jungwoo didn’t react to that, so Mark took another step forward. “I don’t hate you,” he repeated more firmly.

“You never answered any of my letters.”

Mark’s smile dimmed, his shoulders drawing up with guilt. “I know.”

Jungwoo sniffled and Yukhei withstood the urge to reach out for him. He didn’t know whether Jungwoo wanted to be touched right now.

“I hate what happened,” Mark conceded. “I was angry and sad, but I never hated you. I did some research on it.”

Something about that sentence made both Jungwoo and Donghyuck chuckle.

Mark’s ears turned red before he continued, “I did some research on it, and I know now that it never would have happened if he hadn’t been perceptive to your call, Woo. If he’d truly been in love with me then your charm never would’ve worked on him. It’s not your fault. It never was.”

“I was too much.”

“You weren’t too much. I just never was enough.”

Mark looked sad as he shrugged and Donghyuck behind him growled. It was a quiet, terrifying sound.

Mark turned around with a smile. “Don’t hex anyone, Duckie.”

Donghyuck shrugged, making no promises as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

There was this same joy in Mark’s eyes again as he turned back around and bridged the distance between himself and Jungwoo.

“I’m sorry I never answered your letters, Woo. I just needed time. Can you believe that?” 

Jungwoo sniffled. “Ten months is a long time.” 

“It is,” Mark agreed before he opened his arms. “So, can I get a hug from my best friend after such a long wait, please?”

Jungwoo wiped his eyes, a sigh spilling over his head before he stepped into Mark’s embrace. They all but fell against each other, Jungwoo exhausted from crying and Mark exhausted from what Yukhei assumed to be his journey.

“Merlin this is so embarrassing.” Jungwoo said as they pulled apart, his eyes flickering over to his reflection in the bathroom mirrors. “I’m all blotchy.”

“You’re as pretty as always, Woo,” Donghyuck consoled him. “Besides, my cousin once said there’s no better place to cry than a school bathroom.”

Jungwoo sniffed. “Why would he say that?”

“I can’t tell you, he started waxing poetry about Taeyong afterwards and I stopped listening.”

Jungwoo laughed.

Mark looked sheepish when he sought out Yukhei’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Lucas, you must have a terrible first impression of me.”

Yukhei shook his head. “Friend,” he pointed from Mark at Jungwoo, before pointing from Mark to himself. “Friend, too.”

Mark’s expression softened into a smile. “I’m glad to be friends.”

“Lucas is a sixth-year just like us,” Jungwoo said, looking so proud Yukhei needed a moment to comprehend that Jungwoo was talking about him.

He felt his life force return to him when Jungwoo moved to stand by his side, Jungwoo’s hand finding his own. It was so easy, to get lost in the depth of Jungwoo’s eyes, the sweet curl of his smile. Jungwoo’s nose was red from crying, but still Yukhei thought he was the loveliest boy he had ever seen.

“We should get going,” Donghyuck’s voice broke him out of his reverie.

He and Mark were already at the door.

Yukhei let Jungwoo pull him along as they made their way out of the bathroom. The prospect of finally being able to get some breakfast from the Great Hall was more than enticing.

*  
  
Mark smiled when he realised where they were going, though he tried hard not to let Donghyuck see.

“This is against so many school rules, Duckie,” he whispered, letting Donghyuck press him further into the wall. Donghyuck only slapped a hand over his mouth.

Mark could hear his own heart beat in his ears as they waited. He busied himself with counting Donghyuck’s eyelashes, tracing the arch of his brows and cheek in the dark. He tried to figure out how much Donghyuck’s face had changed in the time they had been apart, but it was hard when the lines of Donghyuck’s face were the most familiar to him in the world.

Eventually, the light of Professor Hani’s wand passed by the alcove they were hiding in. Mark held his breath until her steps had faded. He mourned the warmth of Donghyuck’s body when Donghyuck pulled away from him.

Donghyuck grinned at him, that spark of mischief in Donghyuck’s eyes that Mark had missed more than he could admit. “Better now, scaredy cat?”

“I’m serious,” Mark murmured as they continued their way down the hallway. “I’m a prefect, I can’t be caught misbehaving like this. Especially not on the first night that I’m back.”

Donghyuck had taken to ignoring him, his wand pushed under the cloak of his robes to muffle the brightness of his _Lumos_ spell.

There were a hundred reasons why Mark should have put an end to their midnightly excursion, a hundred things he could have said to convince Donghyuck to return to their respective dormitories right now, but Donghyuck had kept Mark’s record spotless for as long as he had been roping Mark into his shenanigans and Mark would have followed him everywhere. Even if it meant risking a week’s worth of detention if Professor Hani caught them sneaking into the kitchens at midnight after all.

Despite the late hour, there were still kitchen elves flitting between the ovens and work stations, one of them hurrying over as soon as Donghyuck and he had crossed the threshold.

“Oh, Young Master Seo, Young Master Lee, welcome! How can Mimsy be of service at this admittedly late hour? Another herbal tea for your oathbound friends, Young Master Seo?”

Donghyuck shook his head. “No, thank you, Mimsy, they should be asleep by now. Mark and I came here for the, uhm,” his eyes flickered over to Mark before he crouched down to whisper the rest of his sentence into the ear of the kitchen elf.

Mimsy’s eyes grew comically large, her ears perking up before she was nodding, waving them to follow her.

“Of course, Sir, right this way. Mimsy will bring it right away.”

“Thank you, Mimsy!” Donghyuck called after her.

Mark watched in bemusement, but didn’t bother asking. He let Donghyuck cover his eyes from behind, patiently waited as he listened to Donghyuck breathe against his ear, the patter of small feet passing near him.

He didn’t have to wait for very long until there was the tell-tale sound of something hitting the counter in front of him, Donghyuck’s laughter ringing in his ear.

“Ready?”

“Ready, Duckie.”

Donghyuck lifted his hands from his eyes.

On the counter in front of Mark was a chocolate cake, rather misshapen in its form and caving under the weight of the mountain of sprinkles that had been dumped on top. There were candles too and candied fruit and an approximation of his face hexed into fondant. Mark loved it.

“Is this for me?” 

“Of course, dumbass.” Donghyuck side-stepped him to pick up the cutting knife Mimsy had provided them with.

Mark couldn’t contain his laughter as he watched Donghyuck struggle to work through the fondant.

“Did you bake this?”

Donghyuck huffed. “The others helped. Now, be grateful or you don’t get any.”

Mark slid his arms around Donghyuck’s waist, ignoring the way Donghyuck froze as he pulled him closer.

“Thank you, Duckie.” He pressed his face against Donghyuck’s cheek. “It’s beautiful.”

“Well,” Donghyuck cleared his throat, shaking him off so he could continue cutting. “It’s not a Taeyong-level cake, but it should do. Jaemin says he hexed it so it tastes like watermelon, but who knows how well that worked.”

“I’m sure it’s great.”

Donghyuck looked content as he finally managed to cut the cake into eights and loaded up two plates with a slice each. Mark accepted his with a light bow, savouring the amused huff it coaxed out of his best friend.

The cake, for all the rather horrendous decorative choices it had endured, tasted even worse. For a moment, Mark thought he might choke on the cloying sweetness that glued together his teeth, sealed his throat before he managed to swallow the bite he had taken further down.

“Wow,” he breathed out once he could breathe again, pushing his tongue against his teeth to scrape off the fudge stuck there.

“Mhm.” Donghyuck looked unimpressed as he chewed on his fork, his nose twitching.

Mark wondered whether Donghyuck was aware of how ridiculously beautiful he was in that moment.

He averted his gaze to his plate. “It’s not so bad?” he tried.

“Oh, it’s absolutely terrible.” Donghyuck’s grin was blinding. “I’m gonna kill Jaemin.”

Mark snorted. “You wouldn’t do that to Jeno.”

Donghyuck sighed. “Why must it be a crime to hurt a Hufflepuff’s feelings.”

“Because they make us better people.”

Donghyuck hummed. “Can’t argue with that. Still, I feel like I should have asked Jungwoo to keep an eye on the decorations team, but he was busy running after Lucas like the lovesick fool he is.”

Mark leaned against the counter as he thought of his best friend and his best friend’s apparent crush. He hadn’t been surprised to see the adoration in Lucas’ eyes whenever he looked at Jungwoo, a lot of people looked at Jungwoo like that. What had surprised him was that Jungwoo looked at him with the same ardent feelings so glaringly obvious in his eyes.

It made something protective rise in Mark’s chest. Jungwoo’s secret was an open one, known to everyone who had been within castle walls around this time the year before, but Lucas _hadn’t_ been around then. Mark had the distinct feeling that the newcomer was still unaware.

“Lucas, is he good?”

Donghyuck hummed. “He’s a good Quidditch player.”

“That’s all you know about him?” Mark was honestly surprised.

Donghyuck’s smile sharpened. “No. I know also know that he’s a transfer student, that he has a brother and that Cousin Johnny told me to be nice to him.”

Mark furrowed his brows. Johnny Seo’s favour was a powerful possession, something not many people in the world called their own. Mark himself had spent three summers in the man’s house and he still felt the need to bow whenever Johnny came near him. “Why?”

Donghyuck shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t ask. It doesn’t matter, either. Cousin has his reasons to say what he says, and he has his reasons to not say what he doesn’t say. But from what Chenle, Renjun and Yangyang tell me, there’s no need to be concerned about Lucas. His heart is good and beating, as Chenle calls it.”

Mark let himself relax. He had had the same impression, but it was reassuring to have confirmation.

“Jungwoo seems happy around him.”

There were more words he could have said, but one look into Donghyuck’s eyes told him that Donghyuck already knew. Mark cut another piece off his slice of cake.

“Mark?”

Fascinated, he watched the dough inside the cake change colour as he touched it with his fork. “Yeah?”

“Why did you come back early?”

It was funny, how readily his heart was willing to set out at the sound of Donghyuck’s voice. He took care to set down both his plate and his fork before he met Donghyuck’s eyes.

He could have lied. He could have cited a sudden bout of homesickness, the urge to not miss any more subject matter, the wedding invitation stored securely in his trunk, but Donghyuck deserved better than that. He deserved the truth.

“You must know that I’ve come back for you.”

Donghyuck nodded, just once.

Mark felt his heart thunder in his chest. “Do you remember what I told you?”

Donghyuck raised a single brow.

Mark swallowed. “Before I left. Do you remember what I told you?”

Too many emotions flickered over Donghyuck’s irides. “Do you remember what I told _you?”_ he gave back.

Mark did. He remembered it, the night before he had been set to leave, his luggage piled up in Professor Minseok’s office and the letter granting him a year in Ilvermorny, a year in another school on another continent, folded neatly in his breast pocket.

He had been on the top floor of the Astronomy Tower that made up the highest point in the castle, as close to the stars as he could’ve gotten. As far away from everyone else as he could’ve gotten. Donghyuck had still found him. Donghyuck had found him and begged him to stay and Mark hadn’t listened to him.

He had left.

“Can you ever forgive me?”

Donghyuck grinned at him.

“I loved you enough, Mark.”

 _I love you, Donghyuck,_ Mark had said to him on the highest floor of the Astronomy Tower in the centre of the room that marked the middle between the window and the stairs, _please love me enough to understand._

“I loved you enough to let you leave Hogwarts and our friends and _me._ That is how much I loved you.” Donghyuck’s grin broadened. “And I didn’t kill Daniel Kang after you left, even though Cousin would have found a way to cover it up. What does that tell you?”

“That you’ve loved me every day in between then and now, too.”

Donghyuck nodded. “And that’s why I’ll forgive you, Mark Lee, because I love you enough to overlook that you left me. You’re still my best friend.”

Mark pretended these two words still made him as happy as they had made him when he had been twelve and Donghyuck had called him his best friend for the first time. He pretended these words were still enough.

He drew Donghyuck into his arms, because it had been too long and he had come back for this. “I love you too, Donghyuck.”

He could feel Donghyuck’s teeth against his neck, savoured every syllable Donghyuck was willing to give him after ten months of absence. “I know.”

*

Yukhei awoke because of his stomach, hunger still plaguing him even though he had spent the better part of the day accepting any and all sweets and snacks Jungwoo had offered him. The pitch black of the dormitory told him that it was still deep in the night. Not many hours could’ve passed since they had gone to bed and a look at Jungwoo’s bed reassured him that Jungwoo was fast asleep under his covers, only a halo of silver hair visible under his blanket.

Yukhei allowed himself another moment of peeking through the slit Jungwoo had left open in his curtains before he forced himself out of bed. He knew there were bowls full of candy on the homework tables in the Hufflepuff common room, placed there for the taking and so he was careful not to make any sound that could wake his dormmates as he made his way over to the door.

He opened it slowly, suppressing a shiver as his knees touched the cold stone of the round passage. He hurried to climb through, careful to close the door behind him just as quietly as he had opened it.

He was surprised to find that the fire in the common room hadn’t burned out yet, the flames licking at a single log that cast the room in deep orange lighting. Yukhei furrowed his brows, worried whether he should find some water to extinguish the fire when he noticed that he wasn’t the only one awake at this time.

He recognised Jeno’s frame even in the low lighting, his broad shoulders and peroxide blond hair that was visible behind the back rest of the sofa closest to the fireplace and Yukhei was already walking forward, eager to greet his friend when he noticed that Jeno wasn’t alone. It was the quiet sound of sobbing that made Yukhei halt in his steps more than anything.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t apologise.”

“No, I have to. I shouldn’t have asked you, I—”

“Renjun.”

Yukhei watched as the smaller of the two boys looked up. Feeling the heaviness in the air, he clung to the comfort in Jeno’s voice, even if it wasn’t directed at him.

“Thank you, Injunnie.” Yukhei watched Jeno take Renjun’s hand, watched the way Jeno’s knuckles turned white as he squeezed it. “Thank you for coming to me.”

Their voices were hushed, but even so Yukhei could hear the sadness in Renjun’s voice, “Don’t thank me. You’re too nice for your own good, Jeno. I’ve told you so many times, you shouldn’t be this nice to people.”

“Being good to people makes me feel good.” Jeno’s smile was blinding before it dimmed. “And I’m sorry. I wish I could help you, but you know why I can’t. I’d do anything for you, but—”

“I know.” Renjun’s shrug was half-hearted. “It was a stupid idea anyways.”

Jeno shook his head, but Renjun wasn’t looking at him anymore. Instead, he was looking at the hand Jeno was holding, a small smile grazing his features before it fell and he pulled his hand away.

“I should go.”

“Renjun—“

But Renjun was already leaving, leaving Yukhei to duck behind the nearest plant large enough enough to cover him, terrified that either of his friends might spot him. Luckily, Renjun’s eyes never left the ground as he steered towards the exit.

Yukhei felt every of his steps resonate against his skill, competing with the thundering of his heart inside his chest and he wished for the last of them to reach his ears, but then Jeno was hoisting himself over the backrest of the sofa, landing on his feet and catching up with Renjun.

Yukhei could see the way Renjun’s eyes widened when Jeno’s hand closed around his arm, could hear the gasp they shared, could feel his own heart stop when Jeno surged forward and pressed their lips together. Not for long, it was over within a heartbeat, but it had happened. Yukhei had seen it.

“Jeno,” Renjun was the first one regather his words.

The Hufflepuff shook his head, his fingertips grazing Renjun’s cheek before he pulled away, one step that might as well have been a hundred.

“Don’t tell me,” he said and for the first time since Yukhei had known him, Jeno sounded truly pained.

Yukhei didn’t understand, but it seemed that Renjun did. He took a step back, too. 

There were no more words exchanged between the two of them before Renjun turned around and closed the rest of the distance between himself and the basement door. The honey wood had already swung open to let him out when he turned around once more.

“Thank you, Jeno.” 

“Don’t thank me.” Jeno didn’t look up and Yukhei had the feeling that the moment that Renjun was gone, Jeno’s legs wouldn’t support him any further. “You said yourself you should have never asked me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super grateful for any kudos or comments!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> 


	7. The Scarred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a scene that's a bit of a heavy-hitter. Please, be mindful if you're sensitive to such things.

Yukhei knew he had already tipped Renjun off by staring so much, but he couldn’t help himself.

Renjun’s brows furrowed as he leaned over the table between them. “Is it too hard? Do you need help?”

Yukhei looked down at the work sheet he was supposed to be working on. He quickly shook his head. “No, it is fine.”

_“Are you sure?”_

Yukhei winced. Lying to Renjun in their mother tongue was nearly impossible, not when Renjun was looking at him with honest, sharp eyes. It was so different from how he had been the night before.

 _“I’m fine.”_ Yukhei tried his best smile. He told himself that it was not a lie. He, himself, was not the concern. _“Thank you.”_

Renjun still looked suspicious but he let it go, returning to the essay he was writing. From what Yukhei could see, he hadn’t gotten very far yet, despite the two of them having spent the better part of their afternoon in the library. Renjun kept laying down his quill and staring out of the windows instead, which in turn made Yukhei stare at him.

Yukhei longed to tell Jungwoo about what he had seen. He wanted to hear Jungwoo’s opinion, especially because Jungwoo undoubtedly knew more about their friends’ relationships than Yukhei did, but what he had witnessed wasn’t meant to be shared with anyone. Yukhei hadn’t known Renjun for very long, but he knew that Renjun did things deliberately and with intent and Yukhei doubted Renjun had chosen to come to the Hufflepuff common room in the dark of the night to have anyone else bear witness to his conversation with Jeno.

So Yukhei lowered his head and swore himself to secrecy. It was the least he could do, for everything that Renjun was doing for him.

It was difficult to hold onto his solution when he saw Jungwoo, Jeno and Jaemin walk into their aisle, voices high with excitement and hair damp from the rain outside.

Yukhei felt his heart lighten at the carefree smile on Jungwoo’s lips, the way his eyes seemed to shine as his eyes fell on Yukhei. Jungwoo veered to the left so he could walk down the length of the table that would make him end up on Yukhei’s side.

“Hello.” Yukhei beamed.

“Hello, Lucas.” Jungwoo laughed and touched Yukhei’s cheek before he pushed himself up to sit on the tabletop by Yukhei’s hand. “You’re working hard, I see.”

Yukhei proudly lifted the work sheet he had half-finished. 

On the other side of the table, he could see Jaemin try to hug Renjun in greeting. He was surprised when Renjun allowed it. Yukhei’s eyes flickered over to Jeno, who was watching the exchange with an impassive expression until Jaemin smiled at him, obviously excited about Renjun’s lack of murderous intent towards him.

Jeno beamed and gave Jaemin a thumbs up.

Yukhei’s attention was caught when he felt Jungwoo’s fingers against his nape, a silent plea for his attention. Yukhei was more than willing to give it to him.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo began, his legs swinging back and forth as he smiled.

Yukhei nodded. He was Lucas.

“Next weekend, we want to go to Hogsmeade.” Jungwoo took his hand. “You’ll come too, right? We don’t even have to hang with these guys!”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Jungwoo laughed and it was so charming that not even Jaemin could hold onto his dramatics.

He squeezed Yukhei’s hand. “We’ll go somewhere, yes?”

“Go together?”

“Yes,” Jungwoo said with rosy cheeks and cold fingers touching Yukhei’s neck. “Us two together.”

In the corner of his eye, Yukhei could see Jeno berate Jaemin for pretending to gag while Renjun watched Jungwoo and him with a tiny furrow between his brows. Yukhei decided to ignore it, as he had taken to do when he didn’t understand what was going on.

He smiled up at Jungwoo, feeling his heart flutter in excitement. “We go together.”

Jungwoo beamed at him. “Wonderful.”

In that moment, Yukhei wished he could have told Jungwoo who he had been once upon a time. That he had been someone. That he had ranked first among all of Weishen’s disciples, had been a champion. He wished he could’ve told Jungwoo that he deserved to be looked at like he was the best thing to happen since the invention of pumpkin juice.

But Jungwoo looked at him like that anyways and Yukhei struggled to focus on the conversation that was happening around him when all he wanted to focus on was the feeling of Jungwoo’s hand in his, the sight of him laughing as the sun falling in through the window cast his skin golden.

It wasn’t long until Jungwoo and Jaemin left, Jeno joining them to skim through a book he needed for one of his classes. He took a seat next to Renjun and Yukhei tried hard to pretend to be oblivious to the way Renjun tensed, the air of awkwardness between his two friends.

Yukhei focussed back on his work sheet, the words blurring before his eyes. He was pretty sure he was sweating.

“Lucas?”

He whipped up his head.

Renjun was looking at him, a small, strained smile on his face. “Did you finish your work yet?”

Yukhei looked down at the parchment, wishing desperately he had. “No. Sorry.”

_“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it, just do it at your own speed.”_

_“Of course. Again, I’m sorry.”_

When Yukhei looked back up, he found Jeno frowning at the two of them. That was, until he seemed to realise what he was doing and his frown turned into a smile. It was encouraging and earnest and Yukhei wished that things would have been different, that the world would have been a place in which Jeno never had to frown.

He turned back to his work sheet, intent on finishing it. He didn’t dare look up again until he had, but when he did, it was to find that Renjun’s head had come to rest on Jeno’s shoulder, the tension having bled from both of their bodies as they read their respective books.

Yukhei spent the time until they had to leave for dinner doodling into the margins of his parchment, not giving Renjun any reason to move.

*

The door to Professor Moon’s office was open, so Yukhei had no qualms knocking on the door frame before entering. He felt confused when he saw that the chair behind Taeil’s desk was empty, but his attention was redirected by the sound of laughter.

He found Taeil perched on one of the plush armchairs in the corner of the room, a cup of tea balanced on his knee. On the two-seater by his side sat two wizards, their clean-cut, dark robes spilling like ink over the gaudy orange of the sofa.

Yukhei recognised one of them and bowed. They had eaten together after Yukhei’s trial, but Yukhei had never gotten the chance to thank Jaehyun for raising his hand first to vote in favour of his life.

“There’s no need to bow, Mr Wong. These are just my friends who have come to visit me.” Taeil motioned him to sit. “Please, feel free to join us. I think you’re familiar with my friend Jaehyun?”

“Lucas,” Jaehyun said, deep dimples digging into his cheek as he reached out a hand. “It’s good to see you well.”

“Thank you.” Yukhei scrambled in his brain for the right words to give back. “You too.”

Jaehyun inclined his head before looking at his companion, who had watched their exchange with equal parts curiosity and amusement. Something ardent overtook Jaehyun’s usually stoic face. “May I introduce you to my partner? This is Doyoung Kim.”

Yukhei marvelled at the man by Jaehyun’s side. If Yukhei had been a child, he might have been scared of him, unsettled by the thick, pale scar that enclosed the wizard’s eye in a perfect circle, but by now Yukhei was neither a stranger to scars nor the people who bore such marks.

He was careful not to let his gaze linger on the scar and said, “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

Doyoung’s grin was sharp, eyes bright as he extended his hand for Yukhei to shake. “Hello, Lucas. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Meet me?” Yukhei settled on the arm chair Taeil had pulled forward for him, folding his hands in his lap.

Doyoung nodded. “I’ve heard so much about you, though I' beginning to think you don’t know who I am.”

Yukhei felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s a nice change.” The easy grin on Doyoung’s face made Yukhei feel more at ease. “Taeyong informed me that you probably wouldn’t know how to answer my letter, so I didn’t expect a reply. Though, I do hope you received my gifts?”

“Gifts?” Yukhei’s eyes widened. He had only received one package so far. “Nimbus 3000…from you?”

Doyoung nodded. “I thought you’d like a fast model.”

He looked quite content as he settled back into the cushion of the sofa, as opposed to Jaehyun, whose face had been taken over by a tiny scowl. Doyoung laughed when he saw it, patting his cheek.

“Don’t look so grumpy, darling, don’t you think it’s good to give Jaemin some competition?”

“Jaemin has no competition.” Jaehyun’s calm voice belied the pride in his words. “He’s a one-in-a-century talent.”

“That he is.” Doyoung seemed nothing but delighted as he turned back towards Yukhei. “You must know, Lucas, my Jaehyun here has been sponsoring his protégé Jaemin since he himself graduated, so I thought I ought to not be outdone. When Taeyong approached me, I was sure you were the perfect candidate to receive my scholarship. Jeno writes me that you’re very good.”

Yukhei nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. “Thank you,” was all he could think to say. He hoped it came across how much he meant it.

Doyoung shook his head. “I’m happy to support our youth.”

“Doyoung is Captain of the Quidditch National Team,” Taeil informed Yukhei, hiding his smile behind his tea cup when Doyoung glowered at him.

“I want to make it very clear that I’m here to support _you,_ Lucas, no matter your talent for the sport.”

Yukhei felt nervous. He didn’t want to risk revealing himself by asking, but he had to know, in case Doyoung wanted to reconsider his sponsorship if he knew the truth about Yukhei. 

“Sir?”

“Just Doyoung is fine.”

Yukhei swallowed. “Mr Doyoung." He glanced at Taeil, who was watching him with knowing eyes. Somehow, it gave Yukhei comfort. Even if Doyoung rejected him, he wasn’t without support. Not completely. “I’m sick.” He looked down at his lap, rubbing a hand over his thigh. “I’m a werewolf.”

He didn’t look up until he felt a shadow fall over him, Doyoung having risen to crouch down in front of him.

“Darling boy,” Doyoung smiled at him, “you were hurt badly, weren’t you?”

Yukhei felt his eyes fill with tears. He had never really allowed himself to show it. Since he had left his home, his main goal had been survival. His pain had been an afterthought, something to bear quietly.

But maybe, he thought as he looked into Doyoung’s eyes, maybe he could allow himself to be loud about it for once. He knew that Doyoung would understand. Doyoung, who also had a scar.

Yukhei nodded. “Masters told us not to go into… where the trees are. They said it’s not safe.”

He looked down. If he closed his eyes, he could feel the cold of that night against his skin once more, could hear the quiet of the earth as something bigger had come along. If he closed his eyes, he found himself staring back at a pair of glowing eyes in the dark, golden like his own had come to be, looking back at him with such hunger. _Starved._

He dug his nails into the flesh of his thigh. A part of him wanted to throw up. “It wasn’t safe.”

Doyoung’s expression softened. “There will come a time when all of your wounds will have healed, Lucas, but that time doesn’t have to be now.”

Yukhei wiped at his eyes. He wanted to believe that.

“Doyoung.” Jaehyun’s eyes were filled with concern, but Doyoung silenced him with a single raise of his hand. His eyes never left Yukhei.

“It’s okay to hurt, is what I’m trying to say.” Yukhei leaned into it when Doyoung ruffled his hair. “Your lycanthropy does not affect my decision to support you. You’re more than what happened to you and I can’t wait to see what great things you’ll achieve.”

With that, Doyoung pulled himself to his feet and Yukhei suppressed the urge to reach out for him. He wasn’t going to ask for more of Doyoung’s attention than the wizard was willing to give him.

“Now, Mr Wong,” Taeil said, “I have to ask was there a reason why you came to my office this late? It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Yukhei felt sheepish, knowing that Doyoung and Jaehyun were in the room.

“My friends,” he began, smiling at the thought alone, “they asked to go to Hogsmeade.”

“Oh, that’s lovely!” Taeil raised his tea cup. “Are you looking forward to it?”

Yukhei nodded. “I want to go, but Chenle said I need…” He mimicked signing a paper in mid-air.

“Oh, the permission slip! Don’t you worry about that, Mr Wong, an upper year like yourself is free to leave Hogwarts grounds on weekends whenever they please, as long as they are back within castle walls before curfew. Of course, you never handed in your permission slip in third-year, but Taeyong wrote you a document testifying that you’re fully capable to leave Hogwarts on your own as long as it is not the night of or after the full moon, so there should be no problem there.”

“I can leave?” Yukhei hadn’t been sure. After the weeks he had spent locked away in the quarantine room in the hospital, he had been unsure whether he was allowed to leave Hogwarts grounds at all.

“Of course, Mr Wong, you’re not a prisoner.”

Yukhei thought about the metal bars in front of the windows of the hospital room and how he saw grass and grounds and the moon when he looked out of the window above his bed in the dormitory. A smile made its way onto his face. The professor was right. He was poisoned and damned and the other would govern him whenever the moon stood fullest, but as long as the sun shone he was free. He was free to go to Hogsmeade with his friends.

Yukhei rose to his feet, bowing his head. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Mr Wong.”

Yukhei trusted the knowing kindness in Taeil’s eyes as he bowed his head once more. He made to leave after that, eager to let Taeil enjoy the rest of the evening with his friends. To his surprise, Jaehyun rose alongside him.

“If you allow, I’d like to accompany you for a bit of the way?”

Trying not to feel intimidated by the smooth tone of Jaehyun’s voice and the knowledge how much weight his words held, Yukhei nodded. Jaehyun was a friend of Taeil and the doctor and he had voted for Yukhei first.

Jaehyun’s expression was tender as he leaned down to kiss Doyoung, once on the lips and once high on Doyoung’s cheek, lips grazing the lower curve of Doyoung’s scar before he straightened out his back and motioned Yukhei to lead the way out of Taeil’s office.

They walked in silence, but it was not uncomfortable. There was reminiscing in Jaehyun’s eyes as he let his gaze trail over their surroundings and Yukhei didn’t want to disturb him.

“Would you mind a little detour?” Jaehyun asked him as they entered the Grand Staircase.

Yukhei shook his head. He was content just letting Jaehyun lead them along paths that were more familiar to the other wizard than they would probably ever be to Yukhei. They took almost the same path that Yukhei would’ve taken, with the exception that they left the stairs on the first floor already.

Yukhei was pretty sure he had never gone down this particular hallway of the castle, but the statue at the far end of the hallway told him that they were close to the headmaster’s office. Lining the walls on either side, there seemed to be an endless amount of display cabinets, containing trinkets and moving photographs and celebratory cups whose bases were endowed with plaques of gold.

They walked past more than two dozen cabinets before they came to a halt in front of one that seemed to be relatively new, the wood not nearly as weathered as those at the beginning of the hallway.

“We call this the walkway of champions.” Jaehyun smiled as he reached out to touch the glass in front of him. “Every graduating class gets their own display case. You might notice that ours is a little abundant when it comes to the red. It’s tradition that the house of the winning team gets to decorate the background.”

There was nothing but fondness in Jaehyun’s as his eyes trailed over the abundance of photographs on display, some framed, some pinned to the back wall decked out in red velvet. Yukhei followed his line of vision to a silver-framed picture, a scrapped piece of parchment pinned right next to it giving names and a date.

Yukhei squinted at the long-hand. “What does it say?”

 _“The Great Triumvirate,”_ Jaehyun grinned as he pointed at the photo that depicted him, another green-robed boy who Yukhei recognised to be the doctor’s fiancé and a short, dark-haired boy that was hanging from both of their shoulders, the broadest of grins on all three of their faces. Yukhei followed Jaehyun’s finger to the photo right next to it. _“_ And this is called _The Hogwarts Almighty._ Taeil took it, though I think it was Lisa who gave us the moniker when Professor Do told her she couldn’t just put _Dumbasses."_

Yukhei gasped when he recognised the doctor in the latter photograph. He was standing in between Jaehyun and his fiancé, their hands intertwined and silver bracelets glinting with the flash of the photograph. There were more people Yukhei recognised, such as Doyoung and Sicheng, their arms slung around each other’s shoulders while Sicheng’s free side was taken up by a boy with the brightest smile Yukhei had ever seen and untamed scarlet hair that was pulled up in a bun.

Yukhei found the same man from the other photograph on Johnny’s other side, along with a man in red robes, a small, furry ball of purple nestled in his hair. Yukhei squinted at the peculiar hair decoration before his eyes were drawn to Sicheng once more, the only one wearing the same yellow robes as he himself.

 _I was like you once,_ Sicheng had told him. _Hogwarts can be your home._

Sicheng did look at home, surrounded by his friends and grinning broadly into the camera as he tried to push himself onto his toes to be taller than Doyoung. It was not Yukhei’s memory, but it still filled him with fondness. It filled him with hope.

“Your friends…”

Jaehyun turned away from the cabinet to give him all his attention.

Yukhei smiled. There were a dozen more photos, some featuring the wizards he knew and many more that didn’t, but his eyes kept returning to the group photo. “Your friends…good friends.”

Jaehyun’s lips pulled apart, his eyes slipping shut with the force of his smile. He looked different when he smiled, less blasé and much younger.

There was something like reverence brimming in Jaehyun’s eyes as he looked at the old photograph of himself and his friends. 

“Indeed.” Despite the deeper baritone of his voice, he sounded light. “The friendships you’ll forge in this castle are the strings that will keep you upright for the rest of your life. I hope you’ll hold onto yours tightly, Lucas.”

Yukhei swallowed. He blinked and focussed on his reflection in the glass instead of the photos behind. With his body covered by his school robes and the outgrown strands of his hair falling into his forehead, he looked not much different than any other student within castle walls.

“I’ll try,” he told himself and Jaehyun.

He would try. With his body covered by his school robes and the outgrown strands of his hair falling into his forehead, he could hide the parts of him that would cut the strings holding him up like claws slicing into skin.

He was brought out of his reverie when Jaehyun touched the back of his head, squeezing his nape before he motioned for them to move on. “Come on, let’s find those friends of yours.” 

*

Yukhei had come to know the Slytherin common room as a quiet place, the air tasting heavier this far below the earth. Conversation, too, often happened in smoother, sinking, dignified tones. He had always figured that his Slytherin friends carried these attributes with them when they left their common room, which was why he never thought of any of them as rambunctious.

They were proving him wrong right now, Jaemin at the forefront of the group as they descended on Jaehyun. 

Yukhei dodged the flailing arms and swishing robes and watched with laughter bubbling up inside him as Jaehyun tried to hug everyone back at once.

“Jaehyun!”

“Jaehyun! Do you bring stories? From the Ministry?

“Or from Johnny?”

“Did you talk to my brother?”

“Did you bring us chocolate frogs?”

Jaehyun laughed, corralling everyone onto the sofas closest to the fireplace, where Donghyuck, Renjun and Jaemin had sat before they had gotten up to greet them. Yukhei gingerly took the seat next to Renjun, which Jaemin vacated when he scrambled to squeeze himself on the two-seater next to Jaehyun.

Jaehyun caught the back of his head, squeezing his nape much like he had done to Yukhei before he smiled at everyone once more.

“I don’t bring any stories or chocolate frogs, but I do care to hear what you tikes are up to? How are the studies going?”

“Well, of course.”

Jaehyun smiled at Donghyuck’s brash statement. His eyes flickered over to Mark, who was perched on the armrest of Donghyuck’s armchair. Mark nodded to corroborate Donghyuck’s words and Jaehyun’s smile deepened. 

“That’s good to hear, Duckie. You too, Renjun? I can bring Sicheng good news?”

“I wrote to him today,” Renjun grinned, “but maybe you’re faster.”

Jaehyun nodded before he averted his gaze to his left. “And you, Jaemin?”

Jaemin, whose face had gradually turned red, shifted in his seat. “Uhm, I’m doing okay. Jeno helps me a lot.”

Jaehyun’s expression softened. His hand returned to Jaemin’s nape a comforting gesture. “That’s okay, then. You want to tell me how many times you scored in practice this week?”

Jaemin visibly perked up at the question, delving into a retelling of the Slytherin team’s practice session earlier that day. Yukhei listened intently, focussing on understanding Jaemin’s words rather than piecing together their meaning.

Jaehyun let Jaemin talk until Jaemin’s story found its natural end. He had words of praise for Jaemin as well as Renjun and Donghyuck’s efforts as the beater of the team before he let his gaze wander over the rest of the common room, his brows furrowing. “Where are Chenle and Jisung? I wanted to talk to them as well.”

“Chenle wasn’t feeling too well,” Donghyuck shrugged, “so they went to bed early.”

Jaehyun took a moment to process this before he nodded. “Take them to see Madame Yoona if he isn’t better by tomorrow.”

“Of course.” Donghyuck’s smile was tight-lipped, miffed in a way that Yukhei didn’t understand.

Jaehyun did seem to understand, amusement brightening up his features as he rose to his feet. Donghyuck yelped when Jaehyun tugged on his ear. “I know that you know how to take care of them, tike. Respect your elders!” 

A blush crawled up Donghyuck’s neck as he sunk deeper into his armchair, grumbling. Mark beside him laughed, his hands coming up to stroke Donghyuck’s hair.

Jaehyun turned towards Jaemin. “It’s getting late, Doie should be done drinking tea with Taeil and gossiping about me by now. Do you care to walk me to Professor Moon’s office?”

Jaemin was on his feet within a heartbeat, seemingly vibrating with excitement. “Of course!”

Jaehyun let him lead the way. Yukhei watched them go, smiling at the spring in Jaemin's step as he all but circled around Jaehyun's more dignified presence.

Yukhei allowed himself to sink into the cushions behind him while Renjun began to talk to Donghyuck about what Yukhei deciphered to be some kind of Quidditch strategy or another. Donghyuck listened with half-lidded eyes, looking blissed out with his head bedded on Mark's thigh and the older's hand in his hair.

“It’s a good strategy,” Donghyuck hummed. "We should talk this over with Jaemin once he's back. We're not up against the Gryffindors until the first weekend of November, so we’ve got enough time to practise this, even if it’s risky.”

“I can talk to Jaemin.”

Yukhei suppressed the urge to turn his head and look at Renjun as he spoke.

“He’ll listen to me.”

Donghyuck hummed, his eyes opening a fraction wider than they had been. “Yes, I have no doubt he will.”

Yukhei could feel Renjun flinch almost imperceptibly, if only because their shoulders were pressed together where they sat in the two-seater. There was no hitch in Renjun’s voice as he changed the topic, but Yukhei had felt it and something about the way Donghyuck was watching him told Yukhei that he had noticed too.

He supposed that was one of the disadvantages of being known by someone so well. There was little Renjun could hide, not from his best friend.

Yukhei was about to try and join the conversation, now that it had drifted over to the plans that they were making for their weekend trip to Hogsmeade, when the collective murmur of the common room was disrupted by a single, blood-curdling scream.

It was an animalistic sound, something so raw and pained that it made Yukhei’s blood freeze in his veins. The entire Slytherin common room fell silent, a second of shared breath passing before Donghyuck was jolting upright in his seat, all but running towards the hallway from which the scream had come from.

Yukhei scrambled to follow, feeling something rise in his chest along with the adrenaline flooding his veins. He had been First once, and Donghyuck had been half-asleep less than thirty seconds ago. He pulled his wand out of his pocket as he ran, feeling no qualms to use his longer legs to his advantage as he overtook Donghyuck and ripped open the door he had been steering towards.

The first thing he saw was Jisung, crumbled on the ground not a metre away from the door. His narrow shoulders were heaving with the force of his sobs as he was pressing his hands against his ears, violently shaking his head as if that could help him drown out the sight in front of him.

“No,” he was wretching out over and over again, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Yukhei had half a mind to kneel beside him and help him overcome whatever it was that had broken him down to such a state when he saw, too.

Chenle was lying on the floor between their beds, no mark on his body as his wide eyes stared at the ceiling. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t moving _at all._ Where Yukhei’s heart had been beating erratically, it stopped

“Chenle!” Renjun pushed past him, overtaking both him and Jisung as he ran towards their friend, wand in hand. _“Chenle, no!”_

Renjun was caught mid-step, just as Chenle’s voice rang out from the direction of the door. “Sungie? Sungie! What’s wrong?!”

Yukhei didn’t know where to look, in between Chenle, who looked so very much alive standing in the door, and the water that shot up from between the floorboards around Renjun, forming waves that crashed against Renjun’s body from all sides, swirling up and around him to keep him submerged no matter how much he struggled to escape the sudden flood of water surrounding him.

Yukhei panicked and rushed forward, reaching into the water to pull Renjun out.

“Lucas, no!”

He barely recognised Mark’s voice before the water fell and Renjun’s body with it, but while Renjun’s body, soaked and gasping, stayed on the ground, the water didn’t. It swirled upwards, surging into shape to form a human body once more, but this time, Yukhei was the only one who recognised the boy.

His robes were toned a silvery grey like the tips of high mountains and an unreachable sky and his fox-like feature pulled into a grimace as his eyes zeroed in on Yukhei. They were piercing in their yellow shade. 

Yukhei felt his legs give in, his knees hitting the floorboards hard as tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to cover his eyes, wanted to cover his ears so he didn’t have to hear, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t move, he was so afraid.

 _“Monster!”_ The boy hissed, black smoke rising from the marked skin of his hand to form a wand. There was no love, no mercy in his eyes as he pointed it right at Yukhei’s chest. _“You’re a monster! Abomination!”_

Yukhei whimpered.

The other boy only sneered at him. _“Something like you doesn’t deserve to live! You should be dead! Avada—”_

_“Riddikulus!”_

The spell hit the boy right in the chest, dark fog spreading from its epicentre that turned the boy into ashes, into dust that swirled to form something terrible once more before it was caught by another of Mark’s spells, containing the dark, shapeless matter in mid-air.

Yukhei could stand to look at its writhing form for only a moment before he felt bile rise in his throat and he fell forward onto his hands, pressing his eyes shut.

He pressed his eyes shut, willing himself not to throw up until a cold hand landed on his forearm, wet fingers slipping against his skin before they gripped tightly. Yukhei forced his eyes open and saw Renjun stare up at him with wide, worried eyes.

He was shaking in his drenched clothes, his chest heaving with the remnants of water in his lungs but he still had crawled across the floor to make sure Yukhei was all right. Yukhei felt something inside his chest expand before it snapped back into place. Letting himself fall onto his side, he covered the hand Renjun had wrapped around his wrist with his own.

 _“It wasn’t real,”_ Renjun told him. His voice was raspy from the water he had swallowed. _“A boggart, a creature feeding on fear. It wasn’t real what you saw.”_

Yukhei nodded. He knew, if only because what he had seen had been impossible. _“I’ll be okay.”_

His words didn’t ease the worry in Renjun’s eyes, but Yukhei couldn’t think of anything more convincing to console him. He saw yellow every time he blinked. He wished it wasn’t so. He wished he could tame the scene replaying in his mind like Mark had tamed the creature.

He craned his neck to look for the rest of his friends.

Jisung was still sitting in the same spot that Yukhei had first found him, Chenle wrapped so tightly around him that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

“I’m sorry,” Jisung kept repeating, clinging to his twin for dear life.

Chenle shook his head, pressing their foreheads together. “Not your fault, Sungie. Not your fault. It’s mine, yeah?” He wiped the sleeves of his pyjama shirt over Jisung’s cheeks. “I shouldn’t have gone to the bathroom. But it was just a trick, yes? Like a nightmare. Just another nightmare.”

“Le,” Jisung whimpered before curled in on himself. “You were—”

“I’m not. I’m alive. You know I am.”

“Chenle’s fine, Sungie.” Donghyuck was kneeling on Jisung’s other side, stroking Jisung’s hair as he raised his head to meet Mark’s eyes across the room. “It was just an illusion.”

Mark nodded, his brows furrowing as he looked back at the boggart, the dark matter throwing itself against the walls of its invisible vessel over and over again. Keeping the tip of his wand pointed at it, Mark walked over to one of the beds. He picked up a bejewelled box from the adjacent night stand.

“Donghyuck, are you attached to this thing?”

“Not very. Use it.”

“If Johnny gave it to you—” 

“Mark.” Mark closed his mouth at the glimmer of anger in Donghyuck’s eyes. “ _Use it.”_

Mark snapped his mouth shut and opened the box. He dumped its contents—jewellery and a bundle of letters from what Yukhei could tell—onto Donghyuck’s bed before he walked back to the centre of the dorm.

Mark pointed the tip of his wand at the boggart once more, a row of sharp, sourly-spit words spilling over his lips. Yukhei nearly choked on the strong smell of sulfate that clouded the air, a sound like thunder rolling over their heads before the barrier Mark had created broke and the boggart was pulled into the box instead, its lid falling shut the moment it had disappeared inside.

 _“Colloportus,”_ Mark pressed the tip of his wand against the lid and Yukhei could hear more than one lock click. The box rattled, the boggart’s unbound energy clearly trying to free itself, but Mark’s spell held tight.

Yukhei thought he might vomit, this time from relief.

“I’m going to get this thing to Professor Minseok,” Mark pocketed his wand, holding onto the box tightly with both hands. “He’ll know what to do with it.”

Mark was already halfway at the door when Donghyuck called him back. “Mark.“ He didn’t say any more, his lips pressing into a tight line as his eyes bore into Mark’s, but Mark seemed to understand nonetheless.

He smiled, such a genuine expression for such a dreadful evening. “Don’t worry about me, Duckie. Trust me, I got this thing under control.”

The box in his arms rattled, but nothing further happened and Mark looked at Donghyuck as if to say, _See?_

“Wait.” Yukhei watched with wide eyes as Renjun next to him pulled himself to his feet. “I’m coming with you.” 

Mark frowned at him. “You’re drenched, Injunnie.”

“I’m capable of using a drying spell on myself, thank you very much.” Renjun huffed as he stalked over to the door, if his steps were a little wobbly. “Come on, let’s get this thing to Professor Minseok like you said.”

“Be careful!” Donghyuck called after them, clearly unwilling in his acceptance of defeat. “Take some of the older Slytherin with you.”

Renjun nodded before he pushed Mark over the threshold, pulling the door shut behind them.

Yukhei felt his muscles give in at the sound. Where his nausea had ceased, his heart was beating erratically in his chest. He curled in on himself, tried to focus on nothing but the feeling of the cold stone floor against his cheek. He didn’t open his eyes when he felt a hand touch his hair, the press of warm silver telling him who it was.

“I’m really sorry,” Donghyuck murmured where Yukhei could feel him hover above him.

Yukhei pried one eye open to blink up at him. “Don’t say an apology.”

“I have to apologise. What happens to my friends is my responsibility.”

Yukhei shook his head. He knew little about what had happened, but he knew that it was not Donghyuck’s fault. “Not your fault.”

Donghyuck only smiled, his hand falling to squeeze Yukhei’s shoulder as his gaze flickered over to where Jisung and Chenle were. Jisung seemed calmer now, regaining his composure while Chenle talked to him in hushed whispers about nightmares and promised happy endings.

“I’ll figure it out.” Donghyuck’s eyes were glowing amber as his eyes met Yukhei’s once more. “Boggarts don’t just appear. I’ll figure out how this thing got in here, and then I’ll make sure it never happens again.” He nodded, more to himself than at Yukhei. “Whatever it takes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked this, please leave me a kudos and/or comment! ^_^  
>   
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> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> 


	8. The Three-Headed Dragon

Yangyang just knew he was going to get punched in the face again.

"Please, Yangyang, it's just one word." So charming, Jungwoo's voice was always so charming. It didn't usually have this effect on Yangyang, which meant that his friend was really ramping it up. "Tell me what it is."

Yangyang shook his head, if weakly. He moved backwards, hitting the wall of the seventh-floor alcove that Jungwoo had dragged him into. "I can't."

"You can, though." Yangyang looked down when Jungwoo took his hand. It was almost comical, the sight of Jungwoo's elegant fingers covering his ever-bruised knuckles. "I won't tell anyone. I just want to pass through, or you take me there. I don't mind either way."

"Revenge is the path where madness lies, Woo."

“I don’t want to hear any Slytherin maxims right now.” Jungwoo's smile didn't falter. "I thought that you, of all people, would understand me."

"Why," Yangyang scoffed, "because I'm always angry?"

Jungwoo shook his head. "No, because you weren't there either."

 _Pretty flower,_ Yangyang thought, _so many thorns._ It were times like these when Yangyang wondered what had made Jungwoo earn the yellow lining of his robes, why he wasn't clad in silver and green like the rest of their more cunning friends.

But then, he remembered how Jungwoo had been before.

He remembered the small, silver-haired boy that had welcomed him with open arms into his circle of friends; the same boy that had spread homemade plant paste on Yangyang's busted knuckles and offered him solid ground ever since whenever Yangyang lost his footing.

Jungwoo had always seen him, had seen him and accepted him for what he was and Yangyang did the same as he met his friend's eyes.

He tried to find answers in the opaque brown, wondered whether he would’ve found something if they had been a different colour. He had never seen it himself, but Donghyuck had and he had told Yangyang. It was easy to imagine. It was easy to feel anger of his own because Yangyang wasn’t heartless, he loved differently than Jungwoo, but just as unconditionally and fiercely and he remembered, too, Donghyuck’s face the last time they had been forced to take Chenle and Jisung to the infirmary.

He hadn’t been there to prevent it this time. Jungwoo was right.

 _“Mellifluous._ The password to the Gryffindor common room is _Mellifluous.”_

It were times like these that Yangyang wondered why his robes were lined with red and gold instead of silver and green like their more cunning friends. But then, he was brave. He had uttered the word despite the fact that he was definitely going to get punched in the face again.

Jungwoo let out a delighted noise, pressing a kiss to Yangyang’s forehead that would have incurred the jealousy of many students within castle walls, but that meant little more to Yangyang than the fact that he now had to wipe spit off his forehead.

He was still busy wiping when he noticed that Jungwoo had done it on purpose.

“Woo!” he called out, but Jungwoo had already pushed past him, was rushing down the hallway.

“Fuck,” Yangyang muttered under his breath.

With trepidation he watched the portrait at the end of the Gryffindor landing swing open and Jungwoo disappear through the passage.

He was about to run after his friend, cover the inevitable explosion that the tight coil of Jungwoo’s body was going to cause, but then he heard footsteps hurry up the stairs and a moment later Donghyuck came in sight, Mark right beside him like he had been since he had returned. 

"Is he here?"

Yangyang nodded before he started running towards the Fat Lady. His friends were quick to follow him, the Fat Lady greeting him with a disapproving frown.

“More strangers?”

Yangyang ignored her grumbling and turned towards his friends. “Cover your ears or something.”

“Are you serious right now?”

Yangyang wasn’t afraid to meet Donghyuck’s eyes. “The others already call me a house traitor so I’m trying to keep the last of my integrity here. Now, do as I say.”

Donghyuck held his gaze for only a moment longer before he covered his hands with his ears.

Mark followed suit, though that didn’t keep him from speaking, “Wait, they really call you that?”

Yangyang could see the worried prefect, future head boy rise in Mark and was quick to shrug it off.

 _“Mellifluous,”_ he told the Fat Lady before he allowed his friends to lower their hands. “They call me snake-blooded because I spend all my time with you losers, but it’s okay, Markie, not all of us care about what others think.”

Mark’s eyes widened and Yangyang wondered whether anyone would cry at the early grave Donghyuck would hex him into.

“I don’t—I don’t care what others think,” he could hear Mark mumble as he and Donghyuck followed him through the passage way.

Yangyang used the brief darkness shrouding them to roll his eyes. He knew he wasn’t being fair, but his teeth were aching, his blood simmering and it was so incredibly hard to control his mouth sometimes.

It was so incredibly hard to control his mouth when this was all Mark’s fault anyways.

Once they were inside the Gryffindor common room, it wasn’t very hard to spot Jungwoo. His silver hair made him stand out against the rest of the students, most of which were already clad in their pyjamas.

“Woo!” Donghyuck bellowed, but his voice was swallowed by the boisterous noise that filled the common room.

Yangyang watched with abject fascination as Jungwoo barrelled right into the group of sixth-year Gryffindors that had congregated by the windows. He yanked Daniel Kang backwards by the hood of his robes, separating him from his friends before he pushed him against the next wall.

“My friends?” Jungwoo’s shrill voice overtoned the clamour in the air, his nails like claws as he dug them into the front of Daniel's shirt.

“Ow! What the fuck?” Daniel scowled when he recognised Jungwoo. “Have you actually lost your mind? Get off of me!”

He pushed forward, but Jungwoo held him against the wall and then punched him in square in the jaw.

The rest of the common room fell quiet at the noise and Yangyang groaned internally. The Gryffindors loved a good scene, but rarely within their own walls and especially not when they had to watch their Quidditch captain get decked in the face.

“How dare you!” Jungwoo’s screech cut into Yangyang’s eardrums, causing the hairs on his arms to stand on end. His Hufflepuff friend was terrifying like this, none of the usual tenderness left in the bottomless black of his eyes. 

“Jungwoo!” Yangyang tried, but it went unheard by his friend.

“How dare _I?”_ Daniel roared. “You just punched me in the face!”

“You released a boggart on my friends!”

Daniel’s eyes bulged at the accusation. “Excuse me? I didn’t do such a thing!”

“Oh, stop lying!” Jungwoo all but snarled. “You've always lied to not look like the bad guy! Honestly, I don’t even care anymore! Call me any name in the book, pretend that I’m responsible for every single miserable thing you’ve done—pretend that your wandering eye was all my fault, but I swear to Merlin if you ever lay a hand on my friends again!”

Jungwoo’s fist hit the wall next to Daniel’s head.

Daniel followed the motion with wide eyes before he scowled at Jungwoo. “You’re absolutely fucking crazy! I didn’t do anything to your friends, least of all release a boggart on them!” He struggled against Jungwoo’s grip again. “Now let me go or we’ll see how fucking pretty everyone thinks you are when I punch back.”

Daniel raised his fist along with his words and Yangyang readied himself to move forward, yank Jungwoo out of the way and take the inevitable blow that Daniel was going to aim at Jungwoo when the fabric of Daniel’s sleeve suddenly seemed to gain a life of its own, pulling tight around his wrist before forcing his hand down.

Daniel’s eyes widened and then every single head in the room turned at the sound of Mark’s voice. “Daniel.”

Where Daniel had been puffed up with anger, he deflated and Yangyang could see it in his eyes, the misery that had brought them this mess. Desperation filled his voice as he spoke, “Mark.”

Jungwoo seemed to regain some of his composure at the sound of Mark’s name too, just enough for Daniel to push him away and stumble forward, right towards where Mark was standing.

“Mark, how are you? What are you doing here?”

Yangyang could see tears glisten in Mark’s eyes, though he tried to hide them in the squaring of his shoulders, the jutting of his chin as he met Daniel’s gaze head-on. “Did you release a boggart in the fifth-year Slytherin dormitory, Daniel?”

Daniel immediately shook his head. “No, Mark, I didn’t.”

It looked like Daniel wanted to say more, he looked so very enraptured by Mark’s presence, but Mark silenced him with a single shrug, his head falling as he nodded to himself. “Okay, then we’re done here. Jungwoo,” Mark reached out a hand, turned away the moment Jungwoo had taken his hand to steer them both towards the Fat Lady.

Daniel looked more than tempted to call after him, but then Donghyuck was there, blocking his way and view.

Donghyuck perused Daniel like one might peruse a particularly persistent case of vermin. “No.”

Yangyang felt dread creep up his spine. Jungwoo was terrifying when angered, but he was open with his fury, the high blazing of a flame before it flickered out. Both he and Mark lacked the ability to truly be cruel. They were too righteous in their ways, too kind at heart.

Donghyuck wasn’t bound by such things, Yangyang had learned this early on in their friendship.

Daniel scowled at him. “Get out of my face, Seo. This is between Mark and I.”

“You’ve lost the right to say his name.” Yangyang knew Donghyuck wouldn’t budge until he had gotten his point across. “Both of their names, erase them from your tongue.” 

“You really think you have the right to talk to me like that?”

“Mark doesn’t want to talk to you. He doesn’t care about you. Not anymore.”

Daniel scoffed. “And you would know.”

“I do know.” Donghyuck’s smile was dry, more bared teeth than anything else. More of a warning than anything else. “You should, too. He told you himself, or have you forgotten?”

Daniel paled at that, his eyes clouding over with the memory of what had went down between him and Mark. Yangyang could see Donghyuck revel in it, the misery it brought Daniel.

“You really are the scum of the earth, do you know that, Seo?” One day, Mark’s going to wake up and realise what a snake you really are and then he’s going to leave you and that half-creature behind.”

Donghyuck’s smile broadened into a grin. “I pity you.”

Daniel’s nostrils flared while Donghyuck’s expression was almost serene as his hand wrapped around the chess pendant dangling from his neck. “Mark belonged to me long before you even cared to know his name and he’ll belong to me long after he’ll have forgotten yours.”

Yangyang glanced at the door, where Mark and Jungwoo were standing, stock still and hand in hand.

“Only I won’t forget, Daniel Kang.” Donghyuck’s amber eyes seemed to glow with his promise. “I know you’ve never bothered to look farther than these walls, but even you must know that the Slytherin take care of their own. My best friend loved you and you fell for someone else. My best friend left me because he couldn’t bear to look at you, come across you in the halls when you promised him everything and then left him with nothing but a broken heart. You’ve lost the right to say his name, Daniel Kang, and I won’t forget that. You shouldn’t, either.”

Daniel’s expression was overtaken by indignance. “Are you threatening me?”

“When I was young, my cousin taught me many things, but patience,” Donghyuck swayed his head from side to side, the weak imitation of a headshake, “he never managed to teach me that one. I don’t have a lot of it. Lately, I’ve been running low. So yes, Daniel Kang, I’m threatening you.

“Tell your friends about it, even though,” Donghyuck gave a gracious glance around the room, “I suppose they’re all here.”

Daniel’s smile was sharp, mirthless. “You really think you could harm me?”

“I don’t know.” Donghyuck shrugged. “You can think about it. Think about whether I could, whether the scum of the earth could bury you. You’re a Gryffindor, but even you are not that stupid. I’m sure you’ll come to the right conclusion. Most of all, keep my friends’ names out of your mouth. It sounds so ugly when you speak.”

Donghyuck let out a sound that was so disdainful, even Yangyang felt himself shrink in on himself a little.

Yangyang could see anger flare up in Daniel once more, but this time he was quick enough to pull Donghyuck away. Donghyuck went pliantly. He had said his piece and instead of venom, there was now content dripping from the edges of his smile. Still, Yangyang fisted a hand into the back of his robes to keep him moving until they had reached their other friends.

Yangyang was glad to see that it seemed like Jungwoo had regained the better part of his composure, a small smile appearing on his lips when Yangyang let go of Donghyuck to throw an arm around his shoulders. Jungwoo was half a head taller than him, but he folded into his side easily.

A wet nose pressed against his neck. “I’m sorry.”

Yangyang shook his head. “I think that was long overdue.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Donghyuck walk up to Mark, his beringed hand pressing against Mark’s cheek.

“Come on, Mark.” Yangyang thought that it was almost jarring, how Donghyuck’s voice could sound so soft and gentle right after he had spat such sharp words. “We should leave. There’s no reason for us to stay here.”

It took a moment, but then Mark was averting his eyes from the greater expanse of the room and met Donghyuck’s eyes. A miniscule smile tugged on the corner of his mouth before he nodded.

Together, they left. 

*

Yukhei woke up to soft, calloused fingers stroking his hair out of his face. He couldn’t quite help the whimper that escaped him. He was unwilling to leave the heavy arms of sleep that enveloped him, not when it was the first real rest he had gotten since the incident with the boggart and the sleepless nights that had followed.

In his dream, he was in the sky, watched by yellow eyes, watched by black eyes, but they didn’t carry any murderous intent. He was simply flying, weightless in the air where no bad intent or curse could reach him.

The hand in his hair turned into a weight that made his mattress dip, the sweet smell of jasmine and morning dew soothing away the furrow between his brows. 

“Sleep,” Jungwoo’s voice resonated in his mind, so quietly maybe he had dreamt it. Maybe he was still dreaming. Yukhei quite liked that. He liked having Jungwoo with him in his dreams, the other’s lips pressed against the shell of his ear. “It’s all right now, Lucas. I made it right. Nothing will scare you again. You can sleep without worry.”

Yukhei thought that Jungwoo’s voice sounded a little wet, a little distorted but then the hand returned to his hair, another trailing the spike of his shoulder under the blanket and it was so easy to fall back asleep, to soar in his dreams once more.

When it was morning, Yukhei woke up to a twig in his mouth and the mattress next to him empty. Plucking the twig from his tongue, he pushed the curtains surrounding his bed apart a sliver. Squinting against the weak morning light, he could see that all of his dormmates were still asleep, including Jungwoo, who was lying in his own bed, only the silver of his hair sticking up from under his blanket.

Yukhei discarded the twig he had found in his mouth next to his wand and the empty bird cage on his bedside table before he buried his face in his pillow once more. By the time he had fallen asleep once more, all that had happened within the night time was already forgotten. 

*

Yukhei savoured the sunshine on his face, the crisp autumn air that filled his lungs as he stepped out of the castle. He was careful to match his strides to Renjun’s more relaxed pace as they trotted down the path that would lead them to Hogsmeade Village.

Their group of friends didn’t seem to be the only ones eager to go into town. As far as Yukhei could see, the entire length of the way was interspersed with small groups of Hogwarts students, chattering and laughing.

 _“Usually, everyone focusses on classes during the first month of the year, so this is the first proper trip we’re making,”_ Renjun explained when Yukhei asked him. _“Everyone’s eager to get out of the castle for a bit.”_

_“Are there many things to do in town?”_

_“You’ll see,”_ Renjun’s grin was promising and Yukhei felt himself taken over by the same excitement that had seemingly infected the rest of the upper years during the past week.

Even the twins walking in front of them seemed to be buzzing with energy, despite the fact that, after the boggart incident, they had spent a couple of nights in the infirmary upon Donghyuck’s insistence.

“Stay on the path!” Renjun called out before running to where it looked like Jisung was going to veer off to the side to inspect some of the flowers growing along the way. “Sungie, don’t touch that!”

Before he could reach Jisung, Jaemin was already there, bodily lifting Jisung back onto the middle of the path. Jisung, with the flowers he had plucked still clutched in his hand, looked confused by the sudden change of position before Jaemin begun to tickle his side and then he was whining and giggling as he tried to escape Jaemin’s attack.

Jungwoo, who had been walking with Jeno and Mark in the front, let himself fall back, gently catching Jisung’s flailing arm to take the flowers from his hands. He inspected them with care and Yukhei felt a sudden tension in the air, mainly emanating from both Renjun and Donghyuck, who had been closest to the twins.

“It’s okay, they’re daisies,” Jungwoo said, the furrow between his brows smoothing out. “No need to worry.” He caressed the flowers’ petals. “They’re harmless.”

Chenle, caught in Yangyang’s arms, huffed before he wriggled himself free to join his twin in the valiant fight against Jaemin’s tickles and affection. Jaemin was soon overpowered, though he kept close, both he and Yangyang caging the twins between them as they continued on their way.

Yukhei felt hesitant to join Renjun and Donghyuck where they were needling Jungwoo for more details on the harmless flower, so he fastened his pace until he joined Mark and Jeno at the front.

Jeno greeted him with a bright smile. It did wonders to ease the worry in Yukhei’s heart.

Still, Yukhei couldn’t help but ask, “Everything okay?”

“Oh, everything is just fine,” Mark answered him from Jeno’s other side.

Jeno smiled, his expression understanding as he met Yukhei’s eyes. “You must think we’re overprotective.”

“We kind of are,” Mark admitted.

Yukhei bit his lip, “Twins are…different?”

It was a question that had been playing on his mind ever since he had met Chenle and Jisung, something underlying and yet glaringly obvious to anyone who bothered to look. Most of the student body tended to avert their eyes, which just added to the array of questions in Yukhei’s mind.

“You can ask them.” Mark’s answer surprised Yukhei. His smile, earnest and uplifting, made Yukhei understand why everyone had missed him so much during his absence. “It’s not our place to tell, but I’m sure Chenle will talk to you if you ask him. He considers you his friend, so he will tell you the truth.”

Yukhei nodded, committing the advice to memory. A short glance back revealed that the twins were laughing again, Chenle hanging off of Yangyang’s back as he teased the Gryffindor in lilting Chinese. Yangyang growled back at him but there was no heat to the fire in his eyes. With a good-natured grin, he let himself be cajoled into carrying Chenle the rest of the way into Hogsmeade.

Yukhei didn’t quite know where to look first as he set foot onto the bustling High Street of Hogsmeade Village. There was just so much to see, so many shops that lured him in with their colourful facades and brimming display windows. Yukhei longed to run into every one of them, see whether the shelves inside were as laden with magical trinkets and treasures as the window displays promised.

“Do you like it?”

Yukhei whipped his head around at the sound of Jungwoo’s voice, felt his heart skip a beat when Jungwoo took his hand. It had been so long since Jungwoo had last done so. During the past week, Yukhei hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that Jungwoo was evading him. But it was hard to believe such a thing when Jungwoo was smiling so brightly at him now, his slender fingers easily intertwining with Yukhei’s own.

Dazed, he nodded.

Jungwoo laughed, pressing a little closer to him and Yukhei could feel the tips of his ears heat up.

Jungwoo’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Remember what I said when I asked you to come with us?”

Yukhei didn’t have to rake his brain, there was little else he had thought of since the morning. “We go together.”

Jungwoo smiled. “That’s right.”

Yukhei couldn’t help but feel a pinch of guilt as he looked at the rest of their friends. “What about others?”

“We’ll meet with them later on at the Three Broomsticks. For now, you’re all mine.”

Yukhei pretended that his heart didn’t flutter at those words. He smiled, waving at his friends when Jungwoo began to pull him away.

“Have fun on your date!” Jaemin whistled after them until Renjun kicked him in the shin.

Yukhei, unsure what the word meant, wanted to ask whether that meant that Jaemin was cross with them for leaving, but Jungwoo was already talking, swinging their intertwined hands between them as he explained to Yukhei what each of the shops they passed sold and Yukhei was content just to listen.

At times, they’d pass by someone that recognised Jungwoo, other students that shot him adoring smiles, but Jungwoo was always quick to move them along with a sweet greeting and even sweeter goodbye. Yukhei pretended his skin didn’t prickle from all the curious glances he received. 

Eventually, they had made it to a shop just off High Street, the bell above the door chiming as they entered. Yukhei revelled in the warm atmosphere that greeted them, greedily sucking in the thick smell of honey and pastry in the air.

The café’s front room was much bigger than the outside façade had made it look like and yet Yukhei felt reminded of the Hufflepuff common room with how homey the wood-panelled walls and plush furniture made him feel. He smiled at the plants hanging from the ceiling above the counter, lining the shelves that covered the back wall.

Jungwoo let go of his hand to skip over to the counter. “Hi, Kun!”

The wizard behind the counter, apparently named Kun, ruffled Jungwoo’s hair in greeting, an indulgent smile blooming on his face when Jungwoo reached up to pluck the ball of purple fluff from where it was resting in the wavy, brown strands of Kun’s hair.

Yukhei’s eyes went wide when the ball of purple fluff let out a squeak, and then a row of tiny, delighted splutters when Jungwoo began to coo and kiss its purple fur.

“Lucas, Lucas, come here and meet Kun and Susan!”

Yukhei hurried to get his legs working again, careful not to barrel into any of the round tables in his proximity as he made his way over. He wanted to make a good impression. Jungwoo had not told him anything about the café prior, but he could tell by the way Jungwoo was looking at the wizard behind the counter that Kun was important to him.

“Kun, this is my friend Lucas. Lucas, this is Kun. He’s the owner of this café.”

Yukhei instinctively bowed. “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lucas.” Up close, Yukhei could see the kindness in Kun’s honey-coloured eyes, his smile as homey as the café he owned. It rang a bell somewhere in the back of Yukhei’s mind, as if he had seen the other wizard before, but he couldn’t pinpoint where.

Kun turned to look at Jungwoo. “You can take a seat, I’ll bring you the usual in just a second.”

“Can we keep Susan?”

Kun sighed, and Yukhei was comforted by the fact that the café owner seemed as weak to Jungwoo’s charms as anyone else. “Fine, but don’t feed her any sugar!”

“Never!” Jungwoo protectively held the tiny purple creature against his chest.

Kun waved them away and Yukhei made sure not to barrel into any tables or Jungwoo as the other boy lead him across the café to sit at a table in the corner by the windows. He sat on the bench while Jungwoo took the arm chair opposite of him, his attention all on the pygmy puff in his hands while Yukhei’s attention was all on Jungwoo.

“Do you want to hold her too?”

Yukhei blinked out of his reverie when Jungwoo’s gaze flickered up to him, a dazzling smile on his face.

Tentatively, Yukhei nodded, offering his hand with his palm up. Jungwoo deposited the purple ball of fluff in his palm and Yukhei kept his hand stock still, afraid that any movement would upset the tiny creature.

Jungwoo laughed at his expression. “It’s okay, you can pet her. Susan is resistant. Unless you throw her against the wall, she’ll be fine.”

Yukhei gasped, pressing the pygmy puff against his chest to protect her even from the idea. “Who do that?”

“No one, as long as I’m alive.” Kun smiled as he arrived at their table, setting down the tray he had brought before gently taking his pet from Yukhei’s hand. Susan let out a delighted squeak when Kun placed her in the breast pocket of his work shirt. “Here, I have knarlroot tea and lemon cake for you. Do you wish for anything else?”

This time, it was Jungwoo who let out an excited squeak. “No, it’s perfect, Kun! Thank you!”

Kun’s smile deepened. He ran his hand over the top of Jungwoo’s head before he took his empty tray and left them alone.

Yukhei stared at the food in front of him, feeling his mouth water. The tea smelled heavenly, rich and floral, steam wafting up from the delicate ceramic mug. Inside was a self-stirring tea egg drawing its rounds. Curious, Yukhei poked it with his finger tip, hastily pulling his hand back when the tea egg barked at him.

Jungwoo laughed. “It will pull itself out when the tea is done. Try some cake in the meantime!”

Yukhei hurried to obey, picking up the delicate, golden fork that lay at the side of the table and cutting off a piece of the cake. He poked his tongue out, tasting lemon and sugar cream before he pushed the fork into his mouth.

He was not prepared for the explosion of taste on his tongue, his eyes going wide as he sought out Jungwoo’s gaze.

Jungwoo grinned. “Good, right?”

Yukhei hastily nodded, cutting himself another piece before swallowing. “Good,” he managed past the tangy sweetness in his mouth that left his tongue tingling. It was unlike anything he had tasted before, and Yukhei thought that if his former self had had to die, he at least had fled to a place where he could taste such a thing.

“Kun makes the best lemon cake in the world. I really hope he’s going to make the cake for the wedding. That is, if Taeyong can bear to delegate the task to him.”

Yukhei perked up at the doctor’s name. He was missing a word, though. “What is ‘wedding’?”

Jungwoo stilled for a moment before his expression softened. Yukhei’s heart skipped a beat when Jungwoo took his hand, raised it in the air between them before aligning the palm of his other hand with Yukhei’s. “A wedding is a ceremony where two people who love each other swear to be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives. You call that a marriage. Taeyong Lee will marry Johnny Seo in the winter. It’s the talk of the wizarding community! I’m sure if we talk to Donghyuck, we can get you an invite too.”

Yukhei tilted his head to the side, confused. “Donghyuck?”

Jungwoo nodded. “He’s Johnny’s cousin. Did he not tell you?”

“No.” Yukhei lightly shook his head. “I did not know.”

He hadn’t known, but the longer he thought about it, the more he felt stupid for not having realised sooner. It made so much sense, with how similar the two Seos were in the way held themselves, the way they spoke and the way demanded attention with their mere presence. How their shared amber eyes seemed to pierce _through_ everything they perused instead of grazing it.

“The Seos are kind of like wizarding royalty. It’s old money, old _blood_. That’s why we call Duckie the Heir. Johnny is the heir to the Seo estate, but Johnny’s heir is Donghyuck. Their name weighs a lot.”

That information didn’t surprise Yukhei as much. It just made so much sense. He thought back to the day of his trial, how the will of the jury had folded to the entrance of Johnny Seo alone.

“Mighty,” he thought out loud. It was one of the words he had learned from Renjun’s work sheets.

Jungwoo nodded, a small laugh spilling over his lips. “If you ever find yourself in trouble, ask Donghyuck for help first. He’ll know a way.”

Yukhei nodded dutifully, taking a sip of his brewed tea before he asked, “What about you? Family?”

He felt excitement at the opportunity to learn more about Jungwoo.

Yukhei worried he might’ve overstepped when Jungwoo only stared at him for a long moment, but then he was laughing, just as airily as before. “Oh, my family isn’t half as interesting. What about you? Yangyang told me that you have a brother.” 

Yukhei nodded. He realised he had made a mistake and his chest hurt with how abruptly his lungs constricted with fear, but he forced himself to breathe past it. Just because he couldn’t tell Jungwoo the truth didn’t mean he had to lie to him.

“Kunhang,” he allowed himself to disclose, and it was easy to smile. He loved his brother, after all. “My brother is Kunhang. He is younger than me.” Yukhei held up one finger. “One year, but baby in my eyes.”

Jungwoo nodded eagerly. “Oh, that must be wonderful! I’m an only child. And your parents?”

“Father is strong wizard,” Yukhei made a show of flexing his own biceps and revelled in the laughter it drew out of Jungwoo. “Mama is stronger witch.” Yukhei touched his heart. “I love them.” It threatened to take the air from him once more, how much. “I miss them.”

The joy in Jungwoo’s eyes gave way to sympathy. “I’m sorry. They didn’t come with you?”

Yukhei shook his head. He had already said too much. Jungwoo seemed to sense that Yukhei had grown uncomfortable with the topic, because he changed it after that, leaving Yukhei to find solace in the rest of his cake as he listened to Jungwoo’s sweet voice tell him about the assignment he had finished the night before.

Yukhei had just devoured the last of his cake when he jolted at the sharp clasp of thunder outside. Jungwoo didn’t seem deterred by the noise, as if he had expected it, but Yukhei couldn’t help but stare out of the café’s front window. A dark spiral struck the middle of the street like lightning, dark flecks crackling in the air as the atmosphere pulled together and expanded to allow a single body to materialise. Yukhei’s eyes fixated on the figure that had apparated in the middle of the street. 

He watched as the wizard turned, locating himself in his surroundings, before he headed for the door of the café. His face was hidden by the pulled-up hood of his robes, but even so Yukhei could make out his build, lithe and wiry and the way his shoulders carried the all black ensemble he was wearing with poise.

The bell above the door chimed when the wizard entered the café. He lifted one hand to push down the hood of his robes and Yukhei finally got a good look at him. The wizard’s hair was as inky black as his clothes, framing a face with sharp eyes and an even sharper smile. The front of his robes was cut low to reveal a sprawling tattoo taking up the centre of his chest, black lines of ink running together to form a three-headed dragon.

Yukhei watched with bated breath as the wizard approached the counter, his hand disappearing into the folds of his robes. Yukhei swallowed, thought about pulling his wand, just in case whatever the wizard was procuring form his robes was potentially dangerous, but then Yukhei was surprised when, instead of his wand or dangerous magical instrument, the wizard procured a small, potted succulent from his pocket.

He placed it delicately on the counter, caressing the curling, green branches before looking up.

Kun stood with his arms crossed behind the counter, his eyes fixated on the succulent before he slowly raised his gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting up with it. Yukhei could read the “hello” that formed on his lips. Kun reached out to touch the succulent himself, but before his fingers could brush the leaves, the wizard caught his hand, pulling it upwards to press a searing kiss to the inside of Kun’s wrist.

Time seemed to slow between the two of them before it sped up, and the wizard was turning away from the counter, leaving Kun to stare at his new succulent with red-tipped ears while the wizard moved further into the café. He moved, as Yukhei realised with a slight bout of panic, directly towards the table Yukhei shared with Jungwoo. 

“Woo,” was all Yukhei could think to press out in warning.

Jungwoo looked up from his plate with a smile and, when Yukhei didn’t say more, followed his line of vision.

A sharp grin appeared on the wizard’s face as he was spotted, the dragons on his chest roaring and blinking.

“Tennie!” Jungwoo shot to his feet, nearly bowling the smaller wizard over with his excitement. “You really came.”

“Of course, I did.” The wizard’s smile exposed sharp, brilliant teeth. “Didn’t I tell you? I’ll always come when you call. Besides, it’s my friends’ birthday and how good of a party could it be without me there?”

“Not a good one at all.” Yukhei could see Jungwoo’s muscles flex with the effort of clinging tighter to Ten. He swallowed the jealousy rising in his chest. “I missed you so much, Ten! You were gone for ages this time!”

Ten’s smile was serene as he touched the back of Jungwoo’s head, quietly getting him to let go. “Four months is not an age, child.”

“Yes, it is,” Kun said as he joined them. “You were gone for a long time.” 

Ten’s eyes glimmered. His hand came up to smooth out the collar of Kun’s shirt. “Go and change, we should leave soon.”

Kun stayed put for a moment longer, his eyes holding Ten’s gaze as something seemed to pass between. Yukhei hastily averted his gaze. It was not something he was supposed to be privy to and so he shouldn’t look. He only looked up again when Kun left them, taking with him whatever had charged the air while he and Ten had exchanged what had seemed to be silent words.

Jungwoo seemed to be unfazed, his excitement filling the space Kun had left.

“How was Brazil? Did you haggle well with the Amazonian witches?”

“Undoubtedly,” Ten’s eyes fell onto Yukhei. “I see you brought a friend with you? Is this Lucas?”

Yukhei swallowed the lump in his throat. “Hello, I’m Lucas.”

Up close, Yukhei could see that the lines of Ten’s face softened with the force of his smile.

Ten extended his hand and Yukhei marvelled at the jewellery covering his hand. It was different than Donghyuck’s abundance of rings, instead the back of Ten’s hand was covered with a single, woven chain that connected all his fingers with his wrist one by one like a bejewelled replica of the bones that lay underneath. Yukhei was careful not to touch too much of the fine silver with his cake-smeared fingertips as he shook Ten’s hand.

“Lucas, it’s so lovely to have a face to the name Jungwoo has written me so much about. You can call me Ten.”

“Nice to meet you, Ten Sir,” he said dutifully.

His words made Ten laugh. “You got a good one there, Jungwoo, I can already tell.”

Yukhei didn’t understand what Ten meant with that, so he just smiled. He forced himself to withdraw a bit when Jungwoo caught Ten’s attention once more, demanding stories while they waited for Kun to return. It was obvious, not only from what he had heard Jungwoo tell him about Ten before, but also the way his friend was looking at his mentor right now that Ten was very important to Jungwoo.

Yukhei willed himself not to be jealous.

He already received so much of Jungwoo’s attention, he could be secondary one afternoon. Still, Yukhei couldn’t help the small relief he felt when Kun returned to their table, changed into robes that were a perfect match of Ten’s, if they were a deep golden colour instead of black and his front was closed.

Ten was by his side within the blink of an eye, tugging on the high collar with a grin. Kun batted his hand away before catching Ten’s wrist and, in a perfect imitation of Ten’s earlier greeting, pressed a kiss to the inside before letting go.

Ten’s entire being seemed to soften before he pulled himself up to his full height once more, a gesture that seemed almost comical considering he was the smallest among them. Not that Yukhei didn’t feel mildly terrified of him.

As if Ten had been able to hear his thoughts, he turned to look at Yukhei, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. “Let’s go now, youngins, as far as I know, all of our friends are already waiting for us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: family reunion!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> 


	9. Family Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to wait until Friday to post this chapter on my birthday, but I couldn't wait so here please have it! <3

The inside of the Three Broomsticks was loud, brimming with people crowded around the many tables and singular bar and Yukhei felt himself come alive at the clamour and heat. Kun weaved them a way through the crowd, leading them to the back of the pub. Over the top of Ten’s head, Yukhei could see that the corner of the room had been taken over by an abundance of familiar faces.

They had pushed three tables together to make space for everyone to sit. At the head end of the table arrangement, Renjun sat between Sicheng and a wizard with unruly, scarlet hair tied up in a small knot on top of his head. All three of them were wearing party hats and Renjun was holding a knife, expertly cutting the two cakes in front of him.

Next to the scarlet-haired wizard sat Taeil and a ruddy-cheeked Taeyong, who was currently squishing Mark’s face with his hands while giggling. Johnny was sitting on Mark’s other side, an arm reaching over Mark’s back to steady his fiancé in his tipsy zeal while simultaneously holding a conversation with Donghyuck, Chenle, Jisung on his other side. Johnny’s free hand was resting on the top of Donghyuck’s head while he was doing so and where Yukhei had expected Donghyuck to be miffed by such a gesture, his friend seemed to bask under the extra attention.

Jisung and Chenle were half listening while also sharing between them a cupcake that Jaemin supplied them with from the big plate of pastry in the middle of the table. Jeno next to Jaemin received his own and Yangyang opposite of them was already on his second one, judging by the crumbs on the front of his robes.

They were wiped away by a stern-looking Doyoung and Yangyang stared up at him, looking positively starstruck with his mouth open before Jeno reached over and closed it for him. Jaehyun sitting on Doyoung’s other side watched the interaction with amusement dancing in his eyes, munching on his own cupcake. That was, until he turned his head and then the pastry fell from his hands when his eyes fell onto the newly arrived.

Yukhei gasped when Jaehyun hoisted himself up onto his chair and, without so much as an ounce of hesitation, walked over the table, jumping past Jeno and Jaemin’s heads. His robes billowed as he smoothly landed on the ground and like that, he was launching himself at Ten.

Jaehyun threw his arms around the smaller wizard while his unabashed laughter shook them both. The ruckus was enough to catch the attention of those that were sitting with their backs to them and then both Jaehyun and Ten were lifted in the air as Johnny enveloped them and lifted them into the air.

Yukhei thought about the tattoo on Ten’s chest, thought about the roar of Johnny’s laughter and found himself smiling. Standing as they were, with their teeth bared in laughter and arms wound around each other, Yukhei could see the three-headed dragon in the three wizards that had clearly missed being whole, if the way Johnny and Jaehyun were squeezing Ten between them was any indication.

“Come, Lucas,” Jungwoo murmured into his ear, laughter dancing in his eyes. “This is going to take a while.”

Yukhei followed dutifully as Kun lead them to the head end of the table where Sicheng, Renjun and the scarlet-haired wizard were sitting. The latter jumped up from his chair upon Kun’s arrival, nearly bowling Kun other in his excitement.

“Kunnie, you made it!”

Kun smiled. “Of course. Pardon our tardiness. I had to wait for your present to arrive.”

“Is it 5’7” and impressively annoying?”

“Oi!” Ten called out from where he had weaselled himself out from under Johnny and Jaehyun’s grip, walking over with long strides. “Watch your mouth, Nakamoto!”

“It’s my birthday, Ten,” the grin of the scarlet-haired wizard was wolfish. “I can be as mean as I want to.”

“But you don’t want to be mean to me, right? In front of your beautiful boyfriend? Hi, Sicheng, how are you? I like you so much better than your other half.”

“Ten.” Sicheng smiled, looking unfazed by his friends’ dramatics as he stepped into the hug Ten offered him. “You’re back.”

“I am.” Ten grinned before patting his friend on the back. “Did you start on the cake without us?”

“I made cupcakes!” Taeyong yelled from his spot on the bench, the uncontrolled volume of his voice causing Mark to flinch and Johnny to return to his side. The flush in the doctor’s cheeks took over his whole face as he seemed to realise how loud he had been. “Sorry,” he added in a sheepish whisper.

Ten raised an eyebrow at Johnny. “You let him have butterbeer already?”

“Just the one,” Taeyong bemoaned as he thumbed at his goblet. A small hiccup escaped him. “’s not fair, I have tolerance.”

“Undoubtedly, my love.” Johnny took the goblet from his hands and replaced it with his own, filled with clear water. Taeyong took it in both hands to take a sip.

Yukhei thought about going over and asking whether he could be of any help to the doctor, but Taeyong looked quite content as he bedded his head on Johnny’s shoulder and then Jungwoo's hand was pressing against the small of his back, pushing him forward.

"Sicheng, Yuta, this is Lucas," Jungwoo introduced him in his sweet voice.

“Hello, I’m Lucas,” Yukhei bowed his head.

"He's our new friend," Renjun chimed from where he was still busy cutting the knife, his party hat slightly askew. "He transferred in this month."

“Lucas, huh?” A brilliant smile appeared on Yuta’s face as he grabbed onto Yukhei’s hand, shaking it eagerly. “Yuta Nakamoto. It’s good to finally meet you! I must say Taeyong has told me so—ow!”

Yukhei watched as Yuta’s hand flew to his side where Sicheng had pinched him, but then Sicheng was soothing his hand over the maltreated spot himself, the smile returning to Yuta’s face when Sicheng pulled him down to sit and into a deep kiss. Yuta didn’t seem to hold any grudge against his lover as he cupped Sicheng’s cheek, smiling into their kiss.

 _So, this is Yuta,_ Yukhei thought, _Yuta who had found Sicheng._

As he watched the couple break apart, Yuta pressing another kiss to Sicheng’s cheek, Yukhei found himself wishing for their health and that he might find an ending like Sicheng’s. Sicheng who had been found.

“Come on,” Jungwoo whispered into his ear. “We should sit.”

“Kun?” Ten lilted next to them. Yukhei watched as Ten slid his arm around Kun’s waist. “Will you sit next to me?”

Kun jutted his chin out, his lips pursing as he playfully shook his head, but he still let Ten pull him to the other end of the table where Jaehyun and Doyoung had scooted to make room for them. Jaehyun was quick to pull Ten onto his lap to save space while Kun squeezed himself onto the chair between him and Yangyang.

Yukhei watched with fascination as Yangyang, who Yukhei had never seen express so much as respect for an authority figure, threw his arms around Kun, burying his face in the older wizard’s chest.

A small smile appeared on Kun’s face as he wriggled one arm free to stroke Yangyang’s hair. “Hey, tike. Have you been good? Stayed out of trouble?”

Yangyang nodded and stayed latched onto Kun’s side as Kun reached into his robes and procured a small, tissue-wrapped carton. A delighted noise left Yangyang’s mouth and then he was letting go of Kun to tear off the tissue paper, prying the carton open to get to the slice of lemon cake inside.

“Use a spoon, kiddo,” Ten commented when it looked like Yangyang was going to reach in to eat the cake with his hands.

Yangyang scowled at him, but took the spoon Jeno was already holding out for him. Ten snorted and ruffled Yangyang’s hair, the Gryffindor boy undeterred as he shovelled the first bite of cake into his mouth.

“Lucas, Woo, sit with us!” Chenle waved and Yukhei was happy to comply.

There was also a little bit of space between Donghyuck and Johnny, but that seat seemed a little daunting to Yukhei so he was glad when Jungwoo pulled him along to sit in between Jisung and Jaemin.

Yukhei happily accepted the cupcake Jisung offered him, promptly offering half of it to Jungwoo.

“We can share,” he said, ignoring the twinkle in Jaemin’s eye as Jaemin shoved the cupcake he had picked up for Jungwoo into Jeno’s mouth.

“Oh, thank you, Lucas.” Jungwoo broke off a piece of their cupcake and trickled the bits into his mouth. There was a crumb of chocolate stuck to Jungwoo’s upper lip and Yukhei unconsciously touched the same spot on his own lip with his tongue.

He was wondering how to tell Jungwoo without touching him unpromptedly when his name was called from the opposite side of the table. Yukhei turned his head to find Doyoung looking at him expectantly, the amusement in his eyes telling Yukhei that it wasn’t the first time Doyoung had called out to him.

“Hello!” Yukhei tried to make up for it with his brightest smile.

“Hello, Lucas.” Doyoung laughed. “How have you been?”

“Wait, Doyoung, how do you know Lucas?”

Yukhei startled at the sudden sound of Donghyuck’s voice, the other’s curious gaze flickering between him and Doyoung.

Yukhei could feel his cheeks burn, his heart painfully pounding in his chest at the thought of him uncovered, but then Doyoung was laughing again and there was nothing but calm nonchalance in his eyes as he met Donghyuck’s sharp gaze head-on.

“Oh, we met in Taeil’s office the other day. Lucas told me about his Quidditch aspirations and therefore I decided to sponsor him.”

“You’re sponsoring him?” Jaemin asked from Yukhei’s left, his voice just a tad too loud to not disturb the atmosphere at the table.

Jeno sitting on his other side immediately draped his arm over his friend’s shoulder, but Jaemin’s attention was caught on Doyoung and Yukhei, his gaze flickering back and forth before it settled on Yukhei, his eyes narrowing a miniscule fraction.

“He’s sponsoring you?”

Yukhei felt his stomach knot up with guilt at his friend’s betrayed expression. He raked his brain for the right words for an apology, but before he could open his mouth, Jaehyun was already speaking,

“Jaemin.”

Jaehyun wasn’t even looking at him, but Yukhei still felt himself shrink a little in his seat at the unimpressed expression on Jaehyun’s face.

“Whether Doyoung sponsors Lucas or not is not something you have to be privy to. If Lucas didn’t tell you, that’s his good right. Regardless, their agreement has no effect on you.”

“Yes, it does! It’s—it’s not fair! He has parents! They can support him.” Jaemin shook off the hand Jeno placed on his shoulder. “I only have you. If you support Lucas too, then you might not—” Jaemin ran out of breath then, anger tying his throat and Yukhei felt his heart seize as he watched his friend panic over something he couldn’t understand.

“I’m sorry,” Yukhei tried, his palms sweaty.

He didn’t want Jaemin to be upset because of him. He didn’t want anyone to be upset because of him. He wanted to wipe his hands on his robes but before he could do so they were caught by bony fingers squeezing his own. Yukhei turned his head to find Jisung smiling at him.

“Don’t apologise, Lucas,” Taeyong said, looking a lot more sober now than he had before. Where Yukhei had only ever seen the doctor soft, the lines of his mouth were harshly drawn as he called out to Jaemin, “Yes, Jaemin, Lucas has parents, but right now they are just as unreachable to him as yours are to you. It’s not fair of you to make him feel bad when we should only ever make him feel welcome.”

Jaemin turned bright red under the doctor’s scolding, his eyes filling with guilt and then with shame as he met Yukhei’s eyes once more.

“I’m sorry, Lucas,” he whispered, “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. It’s just that Quidditch is important to me. If I didn’t have Quidditch than I wouldn’t have—it’s my future. Do you understand that?”

Yukhei nodded.

There was the distinct sound of wood splintering and everyone looked to the head end of the table where Renjun had embedded his cake knife into the table top. Sicheng immediately began to scold him, but Renjun was only looking at Jaemin, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.

“Don’t be so worried, Nana. We’re still going to maim them on the pitch, are we not?”

Jaemin looked at Renjun like a boy caught in the dance of a cobra. He nodded.

“Good, because the last time I checked you’re still the best Chaser Slytherin has seen since Jaehyun himself.”

“Maybe even better,” Doyoung remarked, which made everyone at the table chuckle.

Jaehyun scoffed, and tugged on the golden earring looped through his partner’s ear. Yukhei felt himself breathe easier as the tense atmosphere dissipated.

Jaehyun’s expression softened when he looked at Jaemin. “My money’s still on you, Jaemin, and it will be as long as you need it. Besides,” Jaehyun’s dimples appeared, “I think it will do you good to have a rival for once.”

Jaemin nodded, hanging his head in acceptance.

“Great!” Yuta called from the head end of the table. He rose to his feet, goblet in hand. “Now that that’s sorted, I did want to make a toast!”

Yukhei perked up to listen.

“New faces and old, I’m really happy you made it to our birthday! Most of us have gotten busy these days and it’s certainly not as exciting as the other big gathering we’ve got coming up—”

Ten hollered and Yukhei could see Taeyong hide his face in Johnny’s shoulder, Johnny looking pleased as punch as he was clapped on the back by both Taeil and Donghyuck.

“—but it’s good to spend your birthday with your family. I love you all—yes, even you, Seo—and would gladly die for you! That’s a bit dramatic, though, so for now, I’ll just drink to your health.” He raised his cup. “To family!”

“To family!” the table echoed and Yukhei curiously lifted his own cup, sipping on the golden liquid inside.

The drink was sweet and tangy at the same time, leaving his tongue tingling and his insides warm. He liked it. Turning in his seat, he wanted to show Jungwoo, but Jungwoo wasn’t looking at him. Jungwoo’s attention was on Jaemin, his cup untouched in front of him.

“Woo,” Yukhei tugged on his sleeve, eager to get him to taste his drink. When Jungwoo didn’t react, Yukhei repeated himself. “Jungwoo!”

Jungwoo’s head whipped around, his eyes darker than usual as he stared at Yukhei, but then he blinked and looked as wonderful as he always did. Yukhei lightly shook his head. It had probably just been a trick of the light.

He lightly raised his cup. “Try?”

Jungwoo took the cup from him with a smile. “It’s butterbeer. Do you like it?”

Yukhei nodded. He willed himself not to stare at the way Jungwoo’s lips pressed against the rim of his cup, the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. He felt the tips of his ears burn as he took his cup back, finished it before he set it down on the table. He tried hard not to think about how Jungwoo’s mouth had been in the same place.

His heart skipped a beat when Jungwoo’s hand rose to tug on the outgrown strands of his fringe, pushing them off his forehead. 

“Handsome,” Jungwoo mumbled, his eyes never leaving Yukhei’s hair. “Always so handsome, Lucas.”

Jungwoo’s smile was so sweet, so endearing and Yukhei thought his heart might beat out of his chest with how much he wanted to grab onto Jungwoo’s hand and never let go.

He thought that he ought to try, maybe just claim Jungwoo’s favour for the remainder of the afternoon, but then Ten was calling Jungwoo’s name and Jisung was tapping Yukhei’s shoulder and they were pulled apart into different conversations.

Despite of how much Jungwoo called to him, Yukhei enjoyed spending time with his friends. He delighted in joining Chenle and Jisung in their game of snap dragon against Donghyuck and Taeyong and was eager to learn more about Doyoung as his sponsor told half the table of his adventures being the captain of the national Quidditch team.

It filled Yukhei’s heart with joy, being surrounded by people who loved and cared for each other so deeply.

Eventually, he got up to refill his goblet at the bar. It wasn’t until he had already told the bar witch what he wanted that he realised he had no money to pay her. With burning cheeks, he tried to put together the words to tell her that she had to keep his order, but then there was a hand on his shoulder and Ten slid into the space next to him.

The older wizard placed a silver coin on the counter before he turned towards Yukhei. Ten was almost a whole head smaller than him, but still Yukhei felt intimidated as Ten perused him, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.

“How are you, Lucas? Are you enjoying yourself?”

Yukhei nodded. “Good,” he tried to let none of his nerves show as he smiled back.

Ten nodded as he averted his gaze, let his gaze trail over their friends. His smile didn’t falter when he said, “I know what you are, Lucas.”

Yukhei felt his heart stutter before it stilled in his chest.

“I must say, I don’t know much about your kind.” Ten shrugged, his eyes gleaming as he met Yukhei’s once more. “But Taeyong assured me that you’re not dangerous, that they’re taking good care of you and that I needn’t worry. I don’t need to worry, Lucas, do I? Letting you be so close to Jungwoo?”

Instinctively, Yukhei’s gaze flickered over to Jungwoo, who was laughing as he talked with Jeno, Kun and Doyoung. He quickly shook his head. _Please,_ he thought as he looked back at Ten. _Please, don’t take him away from me._

He didn’t doubt that Ten could, not with the way Jungwoo looked at his mentor and the people Ten was friends with. His gaze flickered to the three-headed dragon on Ten’s bared chest. He didn’t doubt that Ten could take away more from him than just Jungwoo.

Ten’s smile stretched into a grin. His hand came up to pet Yukhei’s cheek. “Good boy. That’s what I like to hear.”

With that, Ten left him at the bar. Yukhei watched him return to their table, watched as Ten made himself comfortable on Taeyong’s lap to join in on the doctor’s conversation with Taeil. Yukhei didn’t move until he was startled by the bar witch clearing her throat and he hastily picked up his goblet before returning to the table himself.

The seats had shuffled during his absence and his spot between Jungwoo and Jisung had closed so he was forced to look for a new seat. He found it at the head end of the table where Renjun was sitting alone now, playing cards against Jaehyun. Yukhei gingerly sat down, careful not to spill any of his butterbeer.

 _“Where is your brother?”_ he asked as he watched Renjun set down one of his cards.

 _“He’s outside with Yuta.”_ Renjun didn’t lift his eyes from his deck. _“Yuta’s giving him his present. I hope it’s a dragon.”_

Yukhei nodded as if that was a casual thing people gifted each other and watched as Renjun placed another one of his cards on the table. Jaehyun groaned and threw his hand in response.

“You’re just as bad as your brother,” Jaehyun grumbled as he pushed the small pile of sweets next to his elbow over to Renjun and got up. “I’m getting more to drink, don’t stick your knife into anyone while I’m gone, Renjun.”

“Would never dream of it.” Renjun unwrapped the first of his winnings and offered it to Yukhei. “Toffee?”

Yukhei took it, sucking the sticky caramel off his fingers as he watched Renjun collect all the playing cards. _“You’re good at this.”_

Renjun smiled at him. _“I’m good at many things. This one, my brother taught me. I like puzzles better, but that’s not something people bet their sweets on.”_

Yukhei laughed and relished in the way it made Renjun puff up with pride.

“Duckie?” Renjun called out. “You wanna play?”

Donghyuck, who seemed to be deep in conversation with his cousin, shook his head, gesturing to the half-asleep Mark on his shoulder before he returned to the conversation with Johnny.

“I’ll play with you,” Chenle called from the middle of the table. He nearly stumbled as he got up, but caught himself quickly enough. Naturally, Jisung followed him, the two of them taking the seats Jaehyun and Sicheng had left open. “What are we playing?”

“You said yes even though you don’t know?”

Chenle shrugged. “I’m playing with you, so I know you won’t betray me.”

Something in Renjun’s expression softened. “That’s right,” he nodded. “Sungie, you wanna play too?”

Jisung shook his head, which made Chenle frown. “You can play, Sungie. We have money.”

Jisung still shook his head, biting on his thumb. “I’m just going to watch.” 

“That’s okay,” Renjun cut in when it looked like Chenle was going to protest more. He ruffled Jisung’s hair before shuffling his deck. “Then, Le, Jisung is your second and Lucas is mine.”

Yukhei sheepishly raised his hand. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, it means that if one of us dies, the second will take over and manage our affairs. So, if I die, this is all yours to take care of.” Renjun patted the mountain of sweets between them.

Yukhei nodded dutifully. “I will take care of it good.”

He startled when Jisung suddenly got up, the legs of his chair scraping over the floor. He was gone faster than Yukhei could process. 

“Sungie!” Renjun called after him but Jisung didn’t listen, a quiver to his limbs as he strode towards the door.

Renjun turned around with wide eyes, as if Chenle had the answer but Chenle was silent, his hand coming up to massage his chest. Renjun cursed before he got up to run after Jisung.

Yukhei felt unsure of what to do, whether he should go after Jisung too, but the sudden pallor to Chenle’s skin made him stay. He wondered what they had said that had upset Jisung so much, what it was that brought the glassy sheen to Chenle’s eyes.

Yukhei thought about the boggart Jisung had seen and he thought he might have an inkling. He looked around the table, made sure that everyone was caught up in their own conversations or, in Mark’s place, still asleep on Donghyuck’s shoulder, before he scooted closer to Chenle.

_“Chenle?”_

The younger boy flicked his gaze upwards. _“Yes?”_

_“What just happened?”_

The ghost of a smile played on Chenle’s lips. He lightly bowed his head. _“I apologise on Sungie’s behalf. He normally doesn’t get this upset when we’re in public. He just doesn’t like when someone talks about death. It’s not Renjun’s fault.”_ Chenle’s eyes widened, so very sincere in his concern for Yukhei to understand. _“Renjun didn’t mean to remind him.”_

Yukhei swallowed. He willed himself to just ask, _“Remind him of what?”_

Chenle’s smile changed then, became more sincere and more pained. Despite his bright expression, he looked shaky as he pulled himself to his feet. His breathing was a little more ragged than it had been only a minute ago. _“Will you walk with me?”_

Yukhei didn’t hesitate to get up and offer Chenle his arm. He could tell that the other boy was grateful and Yukhei let him lead them towards the door. They stepped out of the Three Broomsticks and into the cold night’s air. Somehow, it seemed to calm the shivers running through Chenle’s body. His eyes fluttered close for a moment before he steered them to the right.

Yukhei didn’t press him to speak. He knew Chenle would reveal his secret in his own time. Chenle’s footing became less blundering as they turned the corner.

It wasn’t hard for Yukhei to understand why.

Jisung all but ran into them, his arms winding around his twin the moment he was within reach. Jisung pressed their foreheads together, pressed his lips against Chenle’s cheek and nose and lips and Yukhei could see Chenle’s shoulders sag with physical relief. Chenle wound his arm around his twin’s neck, murmuring “all right” over and over again until it seemed that Jisung believed him.

“Chenle,” Renjun came up from behind Jisung, looking all but panicked, “what are you doing out here? It’s cold!”

“Jisung stole my heart and ran away with it.” Chenle’s grin was blinding as he looked at Renjun over Jisung’s shoulder. He had to lift himself on his tippy toes to do so and Yukhei could see Jisung’s arms around him tighten. “I was just about to tell Lucas why.”

A different kind of concern took over Renjun’s features as he glanced at Yukhei. “Are you sure?”

“Lucas is my friend.” Chenle smiled at Yukhei. “I trust him.”

Yukhei squared his shoulders, trying to look worthy of it.

“Fine,” Renjun sighed, “but let’s sit down.”

He gestured to the wooden bench that stood below what Yukhei assumed to be the kitchen window of the pub. It didn’t look like it would fit more than two people, but the problem was solved when Renjun pulled his wand and cast an elongation spell. He also cast a heating spell that Yukhei was thankful for.

Despite the stretched wood, there was no separating Chenle and Jisung and so Yukhei gingerly sat down next to them while Renjun sat down on the other side. Yukhei waited patiently until Chenle had rearranged his limbs on top of Jisung, his fingers dancing over Jisung’s nape as he sat sideways on his lap to face Yukhei.

_“My secret is an open one, but it is not meant to be shared. It has to stay a rumour, a hushed whisper spoken behind unassuming hands for my safety and Sungie’s. I will share it with you because you are my friend, but you can never give it away to anyone else.”_

Yukhei placed his hand on his heart. _“I won’t tell ever.”_

Chenle nodded, _“You can keep a secret. I can see it in your eyes.”_

His smile was bright, blinding as he grasped onto the hand Yukhei had placed on his heart and placed it on his own. Yukhei frowned. He didn’t feel anything. He was about to ask what Chenle wanted to tell him, what they were waiting for, but then he realised that _he didn’t feel anything._

Gasping, he dug his fingers into his friend’s chest, willed the skin underneath his palm to move. There was nothing. Chenle’s chest was still, no heartbeat thundering beneath Yukhei’s fingertips. Yukhei looked at Jisung, but Jisung only looked at Chenle.

 _“Your heart—”_ Yukhei didn’t even know how to find words for what he was feeling, the absence of what he was feeling.

He could only gape, gape at the dead boy looking so very much alive in front of him.

Chenle smile didn’t diminish. He switched tongues smoothly, “I was a sickly child, you must know. I don’t think I was even allowed to leave the house until I was four and then the one time I did I came down with goblin’s lung so badly that I spent half a year coughing straight. At least that’s what my mother told me. Do you have a mother like Taeyong said, Lucas? Does she love you?”

Yukhei nodded. He wasn’t sure of many things, especially looking at the alive dead boy in front of him, but he had always been sure of his mother’s love. Even after everything that had happened to him, he was still sure of it.

“My mother loves me too. She did what she did out of love, I firmly believe that.”

Yukhei nodded again. Looking at Chenle and his bright smile, it was so easy to imagine how beloved he was.

“What did she do?”

Chenle shook his head and for the first time he looked truly pained. “I was so sick at the time. Most of it, I only remember because Jisung told me.” There was so much life in Chenle’s eyes as he looked at his twin. Jisung buried his face in Chenle’s shoulder. “He was scared. He says the only reason he didn’t run away and hide was because they told him he was going to help me.”

Yukhei looked at Jisung, thought of the devotion he clearly held for Chenle.

“Sungie’s the son of family staff, you must know. His mum is our cook and his dad manages our grounds. I also believe that Jisung’s mother loves him. I believe she said yes to give him a better life.”

“What did they do to you?” Yukhei’s own voice failed him on the last syllable.

Chenle’s smile was undiminished. “The Healer told my mother that I was not going to make it past my eighth birthday so she took a different route. A darker one. She cast a forbidden spell and made Jisung swear an oath that tied my life to his. Now his heart beats for us both.”

Yukhei nodded. He hadn’t yet stomached the initial shock, but he understood. “That’s why you’re so careful.”

Jisung raised his head then, his eyes dark as he looked at Yukhei and a sardonic smile playing on his lips. “You don’t realise how many things can kill you until it’s suddenly not just you.”

Chenle’s smile dimmed, his fingertips curling into Jisung’s nape. “Sungie gives up a lot to keep us safe. He can’t do anything that would put his well-being at risk, and those are always the most fun.”

Jisung shook his head. “It’s not a sacrifice. You’re more important.”

Chenle frowned at the obvious lie, bumping their heads together. “You would love to play Quidditch.”

“Quidditch is nothing.” Jisung shook his head more firmly, his voice dropping low as he held Chenle tighter. “Everything would be nothing without you.”

Yukhei could see something pass between them, something that, even as he was witnessing it right in front of him, he would never be able to understand. His heart was his own.

“Does it hurt?” He thought of how rapidly Chenle’s physical state had declined after Jisung had stormed out. “Does it hurt to be apart?”

Chenle’s smile was thin, but sincere. “Being apart is…strenuous. After all, it would trouble you too if someone put distance between your heart and the rest of you, would it not?”

Yukhei nodded. That made sense.

He had a lot more questions, but looking at Jisung’s drooping eyelids and the tired lines of Chenle’s smile, he figured that there would be another day to ask.

“We should go inside,” he said. And because it was important to him for Chenle and Jisung to know, he added, “Thank you for sharing your secret with me _.”_

Chenle beamed, if his exhaustion was more prominent now. “I know you will keep it. _I can see it in your eyes.”_

Yukhei nodded, placing his hand on his own heart once more before he pushed himself to his feet. Renjun was right there with him and thought he had kept silent during their conversation, Yukhei could see the pride in Renjun’s eyes as he looked at their friends, looked at Yukhei. Keeping Chenle and Jisung in their middle, they went inside.

Their table was in uproar.

Yukhei barely managed to catch Jungwoo before the other boy was stumbling into his arms, cheeks flushed and eyes bright with joy.

“Oh, Lucas! There you are! Oh, Lucas, it’s wonderful!”

Yukhei barely got to ask what was wonderful before they were overtaken by Renjun, a scream escaping their friend as he all but pounced on his brother and dragged his hand into the light. There was a fine, golden band wrapped around the fourth finger of Sicheng’s left hand and Yuta, draped over Sicheng’s back, laughed when Renjun pounced on him next, hugging and hitting him at the same time.

“Sicheng has been waiting for this for a long time,” Jungwoo shared with Yukhei, his eyes glimmering with tears. “Renjun was angry that Yuta wasn’t asking his brother to marry him, but now he did and, oh, it’s wonderful, Lucas! Love is wonderful, don’t you think?”

In the middle of the bustling pub, with all of their friends surrounding them, all of their friends celebrating and filling the air with palpable joy, Yukhei struggled to focus on anything else but Jungwoo’s face.

“Yes,” he said and felt his heart stutter at the way Jungwoo’s smile bloomed just that tad wider. “Wonderful.”

When Yukhei woke up later that night, with his face smushed into his pillow and his stomach sloshing with all the butterbeer a very smug-looking Johnny had kept ordering to their table, he barely managed to stay awake long enough to pluck the small twig from his cheek. He pushed it into the crevice between his mattress and the curtain surrounding his bed, obscuring his view of Jungwoo sleeping soundly in the bed next over, and before the twig hit the ground, he was asleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A many cards revealed this chapter, and so many still hidden in my hand. If you liked this chapter, please let me know with kudos and a comment!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)


	10. Derby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, after TSTB: I'm never writing Quidditch again  
> me, as I present to you this chapter: so, I lied...

Yukhei held his breath while Jungwoo spread the green paint on his cheek. Jungwoo’s face was so close to his that Yukhei found himself going a little cross-eyed as he examined the arch of Jungwoo’s brow bone, the flutter of his eyelashes and straight line of his nose as his lips stretched into a gleeful smile. It would’ve been so easy to tip forward, to let their lips meet and find out what Jungwoo’s tongue tasted like. Yukhei bit down on his own, willed his thoughts to stay in the present and not in his dreams.

It got easier when Jungwoo took a step away from him, his eyes roaming over Yukhei’s face to examine his work.

Yukhei felt the distance between them acutely.

“Looks good,” Jungwoo’s laughter was chiming as he tugged on Yukhei’s ear before dipping the fingers of his clean hand into the tin with the red paint. He smeared two streaks onto Yukhei’s other cheek. “There, you’re all set.”

Yukhei beamed and joined Mark, who was wearing the same warpaint as him, one cheek streaked green and the other red. Together, they watched as Chenle and Jisung received their own colours of support for their friends, green for the Slytherin and red for their Gryffindor. The only one of them who had both cheeks painted green was Jeno.

Jungwoo had tried to give him the red as well, but Jaemin had looked ready to bite off Jungwoo’s fingers carrying the red paint and so Jeno had sheepishly asked Jungwoo to just give him the green markings.

Yukhei had been nervous about Yangyang’s reaction to that, but upon seeing Jeno, Yangyang had merely rolled his eyes and thrown a “possessive bitch” in the direction of where Jaemin was standing with Renjun and Donghyuck, waiting to be let into the stadium through the players’ entrance.

Yukhei had used the opportunity to hug Yangyang, ignoring the way Yangyang yelped and kicked his legs out as he was lifted off the earth.

“Cheer for you too,” Yukhei promised him, squeezing Yangyang a little tighter before setting him back down.

Yangyang, looking appropriately ruffled, had glared up at him, but Yukhei hadn’t missed the blush high on his cheeks as he had run off to join in the rest of the Gryffindor team.

Mark smiled up at him. “Hey, can you help me for a second?”

Yukhei followed Mark as they walked over to the small concession stand that a couple of students had set of next to the main entrance of the stadium. Doyoung had given him a small pouch full of silver coins during the party at the Three Broomsticks and Yukhei felt proud as he bought a bag of kettle corn for Jungwoo and himself. He helped Mark carry the bags for the rest of their friends and all together they joined the crowd of eager Hogwarts students waiting to be let into the stadium.

“Jungwoo! I bought,” he shook the bag in his hands, “for you.”

Jungwoo beamed at him, pressing into Yukhei’s side before taking the bag from his hands. “Thank you, Lucas.”

“Are we all ready?” Jeno asked, looking excited now that the gate had opened and the crowd was moving.

“All ready!” Chenle cheered, looking ready to run off before Mark caught him by the back of his robes, slinging an arm over the shoulders of either twin before he led the way to the stadium’s entrance. 

They found seats high-up in the stands and Yukhei felt excitement build in his chest at finally seeing a Quidditch game in action. He had spent the past weeks learning the rules of the game from his teammates during practice and he was eager to see whether he could follow along.

“Excited,” he told Jungwoo, who smiled at him as he placed their bag of their kettle corn on Yukhei’s legs, his body following along and Yukhei tried hard not to reel at the sudden sensation of Jungwoo sitting on his lap, their faces close enough to touch before Jungwoo rolled off of him and fell into the seat between Yukhei and Jeno.

Yukhei thought the drizzle hitting his face must’ve risen off of his cheeks in steamy clouds with how hot he felt all of a sudden.

“It’s probably the most exciting game apart from the Cup match,” Mark provided from Yukhei’s other side, effectively shaking him out of his Jungwoo-induced haze. “The house rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor isn’t as bad as it used to be, thankfully, but on the Quidditch pitch things are different.”

“All is fair in sports and war,” Chenle chimed, looking to be buzzing in his seat as his eyes flicked from the pitch to the people around them to the sky. “Though, of course, Slytherin will win.” He puffed out his chest in house pride.

“Chenle is right.” Mark pushed up his glasses, scrunching up his nose when they fogged up from the cold. “Slytherin will win.”

Yukhei felt his eyebrows rise at the conviction in his voice. “How you know?”

Mark turned his head to smile at him. “Donghyuck promised me.”

Yukhei nodded. Knowing Donghyuck, that seemed to be good enough of a reason.

“We’ll have to see who wins,” Jeno said and Jungwoo laughed.

“Very diplomatic of you to say, Nono, when you’re the only one wearing all green.”

Jeno’s cheeks turned the shade of red they were missing. “Yangyang understands.”

Whatever Jungwoo might’ve given back was swallowed by the roar of the crowd then and Yukhei felt the excitement in his own chest bubble over when the gates at the centre line of the pitch opened and the teams entered the stadium.

Yukhei could make out Jaemin flying at the front of the Slytherin formation as they circled past their section of the stands, the shiny black of his broom reflecting in the afternoon sun. Renjun and Donghyuck were right behind him, exchanging their Beater bats in mid-air and performing other tricks to make the crowd roar for them. It was flashy and fun and Yukhei found himself screaming along when the stands around him erupted into cheers.

He also cheered for the Gryffindor team, frowning when he struggled to make out Yangyang amongst the blurs of red.

“Where is Yangyang?” he asked Jungwoo, who laughed before directing Yukhei’s gaze upwards.

Where the rest of the Gryffindor team was flying an introductory lap before assuming their positions, Yangyang was shooting straight upwards, his face nearly obscured by the goggles he was wearing. Yukhei watched as one of the Slytherin, a petite girl, broke away from the rest of their team and followed Yangyang, not slowing until they were hovering at the same height, far above everyone else on the pitch.

“Seeker,” Yukhei recognised and Jungwoo nodded. “He’s the second-best Hogwarts has to offer.”

“Second.” Yukhei frowned. “Who is first?”

“Me,” Jeno said from Jungwoo’s other side, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he met Yukhei’s gaze.

Jeno winked at him before he turned back towards the pitch.

Yukhei hastily followed suit. The rest of the players had assumed their positions and Yukhei felt himself go a little breathless at the sight of Jaemin and Daniel circling each other in the very centre of the pitch.

There was the sharp sound of a whistle and the two team captains nearly crashed into each other on their quest to take first possession of the quaffle. Yukhei struggled to stay on his seat with all the excitement he felt when he saw Jaemin come out of the tussle victorious, the quaffle secured under one arm.

Jaemin shot off in the direction of the Gryffindor goal posts while Daniel was left to dodge a bludger aimed for his head. Instinctively, Yukhei sought out Donghyuck and Renjun and found them hovering about halfway between the centre and the Slytherin goal posts. Renjun, passing by Donghyuck, knocked his bat against the raised one of his Beater brother before whipping his broom around and flying after Jaemin to cover his back.

The two Slytherin who Yukhei assumed to be Jaemin’s fellow Chasers were there to complete their formation and Yukhei yelled when Jaemin raised his arm to throw. Jaemin was far away from the goal, but Yukhei knew it wasn’t impossible. He had scored a goal like that himself during practice with his own team.

There was a resounding bell sound when the quaffle shot through the lowest of the hoops, the stands around Yukhei erupting into cheers.

“Yeah, Jaemin!” Jeno screamed as he sprung to his feet and both Jisung and Chenle followed suit, clapping happily before Mark pulled them back down onto their seats.

Jaemin’s initial goal seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game, even though the Gryffindors fought him tooth and nail to protect their hoops. Yukhei could tell that the tone got rougher the more often Jaemin and his fellow Chasers broke through the Gryffindor defence. Bludgers were flying back and forth, missing players until they didn’t and one of the Slytherin Chasers was sent crashing into the stands when a bludger hit her sideways and drove her off-course.

Yukhei could see the glance Renjun and Donghyuck exchanged at that.

Donghyuck raised his Beater bat and pointed it at the Gryffindor Beater who had hit the bludger that had taken his teammate out of the game, the blonde strands framing her face telling Yukhei that it was Ryujin, the girl that had introduced herself to him in front of the Divination classroom. She answered Donghyuck’s challenge with a broad grin. She twirled her own bat in her hand before she flew off to guard her captain’s side.

Another goal for Slytherin by Jaemin’s hand wiped the grin off of the Gryffindors’ faces and Yukhei had to focus hard to follow the events of the game with how fast the players were zipping across the pitch at this point.

“Jaemin is amazing!” he told Mark, who nodded eagerly.

“Jaemin’s a one-in-a-century talent!”

“Oh!” Yukhei nearly jumped when Jungwoo next to him did, Jungwoo’s fingers curling around his arm as the silver-haired boy pointed to where Jaemin was advancing towards the goal once more.

Jaemin’s golden aim held true like it always did and this time, the crowd seemed to be ecstatic as the bell sound announced Jaemin’s goal.

“Hundred!” Chenle and Jisung yelled in perfect synchronicity and Yukhei tried to rake his brain what that meant.

Mark seemed to notice his confusion and leaned over to scream into Yukhei’s ear over the clamour of the crowd, “Jaemin just scored his tenth goal, aka the final ten points to fulfil a hundred. If he keeps going like this, Slytherin will win even if Yangyang catches the golden snitch for Gryffindor.”

Yukhei gaped at Mark’s words. No one from the Hufflepuff team had ever told him about such a win.

“It happens often?” he asked.

Mark shook his head. “Almost never! This is world cup stuff. The last time it happened at Hogwarts was during the final game four years ago. Back then, Taeil—I mean Professor Moon caught the snitch, but Gryffindor still lost to Slytherin because their Captain scored so often. If Jaemin pulls this off, he’s truly Jaehyun’s protégé.”

Yukhei’s eyes were drawn to where Jaemin was currently soaring high in the air, trying to shake two of the Gryffindors on his tail while also chasing after Daniel, who was currently headed towards the Slytherin hoops with the quaffle cradled against his chest. Yukhei could see the Slytherin Keeper ready himself, but his effort was wasted when Daniel threw and his quaffle was deflected by a bludger before it could fly through the goal. 

“Oh Merlin, Duckie,” Yukhei could hear Mark mumble next to him and Yukhei watched as Donghyuck pulled his broom to a stop in front of the hoop that Daniel had aimed for. A slow, blithe smile lit up his features as he used his bat to salute Daniel.

Yukhei was pretty sure he could _feel_ the curse Daniel uttered.

Daniel pulled his broom around and Yukhei felt his stomach tighten with nervous anticipation as he watched all the other Gryffindors follow their captain, the entire team returning to their half of the pitch. It seemed to be an unusual move, judging by the way the crowd fell from loud cheering into hushed, curious whispers.

“What happens?” Yukhei asked, craning his neck to see, but none of his friends answered him.

Everyone was watching on tenterhooks as Daniel assembled his team around him and yelled out orders that didn’t carry over the wind. The Gryffindors’ faces looked unusually grim as they pulled apart and Yukhei sought out Yangyang’s face. His friend was losing no time returning to his position high up above everyone else. Yangyang’s goggles made it impossible to decipher his expression and Yukhei wished that he could have, if only to get some kind of idea what was going on.

There was little more time to think about it because while Daniel had called his team together, the Slytherin had gained possession of both the quaffle as well as the two bludgers and Renjun and Donghyuck were happily sending the bludgers off in the direction of the Gryffindor Chasers.

Ryujin and the second Gryffindor Beater managed to deflect them, but while they were occupied, Jaemin and his fellow Chasers had taken the quaffle between them and were surging low to circumvent the Gryffindor team and head straight for the Gryffindor hoops.

With the Gryffindor Keeper in line with his fellow teammates, the goal posts were unoccupied and Yukhei could see a brilliant smile form on Jaemin’s lips as he raised his arm to throw. His fellow Chasers fell away to give him his full range of motion and Yukhei was ready to cheer when a blur of red obstructed his line of vision and he gasped as Jaemin was rammed into from both sides, the quaffle falling from his fingers as he struggled not to be pushed off his broom.

The Gryffindors let off of him as quickly as they had jammed him and Yukhei could see the curse word form on Jaemin’s lips, but as soon as Daniel and the other Gryffindor who had rammed him were out of the way, they were replaced by the high whistling sound of the bludgers. 

The first of the black iron balls hit the back of Jaemin’s broom at the perfect angle to send him spiralling forward, in the direction of the goal posts that he might have been able to evade hadn’t the second bludger hit him sideways then, shattering the handle of his broom and sending both Jaemin and the remnants of his Firebolt crashing into the outer right of the goal posts. 

Yukhei could hear a collective gasp pass over the stands. He could hear Jeno scream and could see both Mark and Chenle hurry to cover Jisung’s eyes, but all that didn’t seem to matter as he watched Jaemin’s body hit the goal post, a yell ripping from his own throat when the shattered pieces of Jaemin’s broom fell and Jaemin’s body with it.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but Yukhei knew it was just the adrenaline coursing through his body, just the static in his mind that was interrupted by another scream, twice as loud and twice as angry. Two of them.

 _Of course,_ Yukhei thought. How could he have forgotten.

The sky seemed to be emerald as a blur of green filled Yukhei’s vision and he watched with bated breath as Donghyuck and Renjun shot across the pitch, diving lower and lower the faster Jaemin fell. Yukhei thought that they might not make it but then Renjun intercepted Jaemin at full speed, catching onto the back of Jaemin’s uniform and pulling the other boy onto his broom before drawing them to a hard stop.

Renjun’s Firebolt sunk with the extra weight but then Donghyuck was there and together they lowered their captain to the ground. At the end of their aisle, Yukhei could see Jeno spring to his feet. He was running down the stairs before any of them could call after him and in a split-second decision, Yukhei pulled himself to his feet to follow.

“Lucas!” he could hear Jungwoo call after him, but for the first time in his life, Yukhei paid him no mind.

He hasted down the stairs after Jeno, ignoring the way his thigh muscles screamed with the sudden strain of sprinting down so many stairs in such a short amount of time. He managed to catch up with Jeno just as they reached the bottom of the stairwell.

Jeno lost no time steering them to the right and out of the tunnel that would lead them onto the field.

Yukhei was more than relieved to see Jaemin up and walking as they entered the pitch. He was hobbling between Madame Yoona and Professor Do, Renjun trailing right behind them. From what Yukhei could see, Donghyuck was already back up in the air, pelting the Gryffindors with bludgers as the game resumed.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Jaemin grunted as he was pushed onto the nearest bench by Madame Yoona.

“Nana!” Jeno called out, slinking around Madame Yoona to throw his arms around Jaemin.

Yukhei could see a smile break through the grim façade of Jaemin’s expression, if it disappeared quickly. “I’m fine, Jeno.”

“No, you’re not!” Jeno protested, but this time Jaemin shoved him off.

“I’m not hurt, a few scrapes here and there, but nothing I haven’t gotten worse in practice! My firebolt, though…”

Jaemin’s expression soured as he gazed at the sad bundle of splintered wood in Professor Do’s arms. “That foul-playing motherfucker destroyed my broom.”

“Language, Mr Na,” Professor Do admonished, but it sounded half-hearted, the teacher’s frown pointed at the sky.

Jaemin ignored him, his fists clenching as he hit the wood beneath him. “That’s the dirtiest way to take me out, really, just because he knew his pathetic band of losers couldn’t win fair and square. Without a broom, I can’t play. I just have to stay here and watch and—”

“Jaemin,” Renjun tried, but he was cut short when Jaemin whipped his head around to look at him.

Yukhei felt himself squirming at how weird it was, seeing Jaemin look at Renjun with tiredness instead of his usual ardent infatuation. “What are you still doing here, Renjun? The game’s still going, so you better get back up there right now. Don’t leave all the work to Donghyuck.”

“Jaem—”

“Go, Renjun!” There was so much misplaced anger in Jaemin’s voice that Yukhei could see even the teachers flinch.

Renjun didn’t so much as blink, but Yukhei could see the grip he had around his broom tighten. Renjun swung his leg over his broom, but before he pushed off, he met Jaemin’s eyes once more. “We will win.”

Jaemin buried his face in his hands as Renjun soared back up into the air and Yukhei was pretty sure that if he had pried his friend’s hands away from his face, he would’ve found tears running down Jaemin’s cheeks.

It made Yukhei think of their afternoon at the Three Broomsticks and how Jaemin had quivered at the news of Yukhei being sponsored by Doyoung, tortured by a fear that Yukhei could and could not understand. _It’s my future,_ Jaemin had said. Yukhei had cried, too, when his own had been taken away from him.

Without another thought, he surged forward and grabbed Jaemin by the wrist, pulling him along as he took off in the opposite direction of the pitch.

“Ow, Lucas! What are you doing?” Jaemin struggled against his grip, but Lucas had a good amount of mass and conviction on him and so Jaemin had no chance but to follow as Yukhei led them into the changing rooms.

The smell of sweaty gear and worn leather was overwhelming, but Yukhei braved the stench as he led Jaemin past the changing benches and to the back of the room where the team lockers were.

“Stay,” he told Jaemin before he let go of his wrist, but the shocked expression on Jaemin’s face told him that the Slytherin wouldn’t have gone anywhere anyways.

Yukhei’s fingers shook as he struggled to open the lock Yuqi had given him for his locker, but eventually he managed to pry it open. He didn’t hesitate to grab his Nimbus 3000 and thrust it into Jaemin’s arms.

“Here.”

Jaemin’s eyes went impossibly wide as he took in the broom in his arms, his mouth opening while “That’s a—”

“Yes.”

_“Lucas.”_

“Yes.” Yukhei willed himself not to be overwhelmed by his own impatience. “Doyoung gave it to me. Now I give it to you.”

“Lucas, I can’t accept this. If I break this—”

“Friend,” Yukhei said with emphasis and pressed the broom into Jaemin’s chest. He smiled. “It’s okay, yeah?”

Jaemin’s nostrils flared as he searched Yukhei’s eyes and then a single, high-pitched “Don’t tell Jungwoo I did this!” spilled over his lips before he was pushing himself onto his tippy toes. He kissed Yukhei square on the forehead before he gripped the Nimbus with both hands and ran out of the room.

Yukhei laughed as his brain tingled with the gesture. Scrunching up his nose, he wiped his forehead before he closed his locker and hurried out of the changing rooms. He was eager to get back to the game, but he didn’t make it very far before he was barrelled into and then strong arms wrapped around his middle, squeezing the merry life out of him.

“Lucas! You really gave Jaemin your broom?” Jeno yelled into his ear.

Wheezing, Yukhei patted Jeno’s back to get him to let go. “Of course,” he said once he had the air to do so. “Jaemin is my friend.”

Jeno’s eyes scrunched up with the force of his smile and Yukhei beamed right back. There was the deafening sound of cheering coming from above their heads and Jeno’s eyes widened before he took Yukhei’s hand.

“Come on, we’re missing everything!”

They sprinted up the stairs, their feet thundering over the wooden steps before they made it back onto the stands. Despite everyone’s excitement, Yukhei marvelled at the way everyone made space for Jeno.

“Head boy privileges,” Jeno told him when he noticed Yukhei’s confused gaze and laughed.

Yukhei nodded. “You’re First,” he acknowledged and was careful not to step onto anybody’s foot as he followed Jeno back into their aisle.

Jungwoo looked bemused when Yukhei flopped back down next to him, but the bright smile on Yukhei’s face seemed to ease his worries. He grabbed onto Yukhei’s hand, squeezing tightly and Yukhei squeezed right back, wishing that he could feel Jungwoo’s skin through the layers of their gloves.

“Jaemin is flying again!” Jungwoo yelled over the cheers of the students around them.

Yukhei nodded, using his free hand to beat his own chest. “My broom!” he yelled back, catching the attention of the rest of their friends.

“You gave Jaemin your broom?” Chenle asked.

Yukhei barely got the chance to nod before Chenle was climbing over both Jisung and Mark to hug him. Yukhei laughed at Chenle’s enthusiasm, held onto Chenle’s waist so the younger boy didn’t slide of his thighs as he made himself comfortable.

“We’re gonna win!” Chenle bellowed, throwing his arms around Yukhei’s neck and laughing into his ear.

Looking up to where the game was in full swing again, Yukhei didn’t doubt his friend.

The bell announcing new goals rung in Yukhei’s ears over and over and Yukhei watched as the two teams put in their all. Jaemin was a shooting star on Yukhei’s broom, weaving through red-cloaked players with little regard for anything else now that they had taken him out once already.

Renjun and Donghyuck did an excellent job of clearing his path to the Gryffindor hoops, reducing the Gryffindor players from seven to five by the time the student announcer called out a score of two hundred to sixty in Slytherin’s favour.

“Be beating, my still heart!” Chenle gasped when one of Jaemin’s fellow Chasers scored once more, a roar going through the Slytherin stands.

The Slytherin Chaser that had scored dodged the bludger soaring towards her and quickly joined the fray for the quaffle once more. Yukhei’s attention was so caught up in the squabble between the Chasers that he didn’t know the attention of the crowd had shifted until Chenle nearly ripped the hood of Yukhei’s winter cloak with how excitedly he was sitting up on Yukhei’s lap.

“Go, Yeji!” Jisung and Chenle screamed in unison and Yukhei followed their line of vision to find that they were watching the petite girl that had been circling above the game’s events with Yangyang.

Yukhei gasped as the two Seekers dove down, continuously bumping into each other on their race to the ground. Neither of them seemed to be willing to give up or slow down in their pursuit of the glimmer of gold on the ground and Yukhei felt his stomach flip at the thought that they might not do so at all.

Mark next to him seemed to share his thoughts.

“Pull up!” Mark began to scream, the sudden urge with which he jumped to his feet startling Jisung. “Pull up, Yangyang, you idiot! Pull up!”

“Yangyang!” Jungwoo screamed.

Yukhei could see Yangyang reach out his hand, eyes set on the snitch so close to him, so much closer to the ground.

The bludger hit the ground at the same time as the bell sound announcing a goal filled the air.

Yukhei saw both Yangyang and Yeji break out of their single-minded focus when the snitch was dispelled by the bludger’s impact in the earth, a wave of wet earth splashing high enough into the air to rain down on both Seekers as they finally pulled their brooms upright. Yukhei gasped as the cape of Yangyang’s uniform brushed the ground before he rightened himself on his broom, clearly out of breath but unharmed.

Yukhei hadn’t so much blinked before Yangyang was already chasing after the snitch again, Yeji hot on his bristles. High above them, Yukhei saw Donghyuck dive down to dig out the bludger he had buried in the earth.

Yukhei’s eyes flickered back to Yangyang, now head to head with Yeji as they chased after the snitch. Yukhei held his breath when Yeji pulled ahead, but Yangyang wasn’t giving up, the both of them lunging forward on their brooms at the same time and then all the roars and screams around him were drowned out by the deafening sound of the horn that announced the end of the game as the golden snitch was caught.

Yukhei found himself subconsciously holding his breath, unable to see as both teams descended on their Seekers, until the student announcer’s tinny voice resonated throughout the stadium, “It’s over! With two hundred and twenty to two hundred and ten, Gryffindor has caught the snitch, but Slytherin wins! What a magnificent game!”

The stands erupted into cheers and the rest of the announcer’s words got drowned out by the clamour as the stands moved as one. Yukhei found himself pulled along by Jungwoo as they joined the fray for the stairwell.

The pitch was bustling by the time they made it there.

It seemed that the entire Slytherin house had come down to crowd around their champions. Yukhei laughed when he saw Jaemin being lifted into the air, the captain’s face bright with joy. The rest of the team followed soon after, except for Donghyuck and Renjun, who were hugging a distraught looking Yeji between them.

“It’s okay!” Yukhei could see Donghyuck mouth at her. He wiped away her tears before getting the Slytherin closest to him to lift her into the air too.

Donghyuck evaded the arms reaching for him with a side-step and a smile and instead let his searching gaze trail over the crowd as Renjun threw an arm around his shoulder. Jeno, as the one who has sat closest to the stairs, was also the first to reach them.

He wrapped his arms around them both, lifting them in the air before setting them back down. Donghyuck managed to escape Jeno’s embrace while Renjun remained where he was. When it looked like Jeno didn’t plan to let go of him any time soon, Renjun’s hands tentatively settled on Jeno’s waist, his face pressing into the older boy’s shoulder.

The grin on Donghyuck’s face was blinding as he fell into Mark’s arms.

“You really did it,” Yukhei could hear Mark say, to which Donghyuck only laughed, eyes alight with blithe joy. “I promised you, didn’t I?”

Mark nodded, pressing their foreheads together before they were pushed apart by Chenle and Jisung worming themselves into their embrace.

Yukhei laughed, happy that his friends were.

He searched the crowd for the one person that was missing and found Yangyang sitting on the ground amidst the Gryffindor team. Yangyang was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, his goggles pushed up into his sweat-matted hair and a small smile on his face as he played with the snitch he had caught. The golden ball whirred around his fingers, bumping against his nose before Yangyang plucked it out of the air again.

The rest of the Gryffindor team were quiet in their defeat, most of them either sprawled out on the grass next to their brooms or already on their way into the changing rooms.

Yukhei felt Donghyuck sidle up next to him as he decided to make his way over.

Yangyang looked up upon their arrival, his smile broadening into a grin when Donghyuck offered him a hand to help him to his feet.

“Proud of you,” Donghyuck said as he pulled Yangyang into a hug, clapping his back repeatedly.

“Me too!” Yukhei bounced on the soles of his feet to get Yangyang’s attention, grinning when Yangyang squinted at him over Donghyuck’s shoulder.

He was surprised when Yangyang let go of Donghyuck to tackle him into a hug instead. Yukhei wheezed as Yangyang’s bony arms wrapped around his chest, but smiled when Yangyang murmured into his ear, “That was good of you, to give Nana your broom like that.”

“Yangyang,” a familiar voice called out. “What are you doing?”

Yukhei felt the distinct urge to pick Yangyang up, throw him over his shoulder and carry him over to the rest of their friends when he saw Daniel approach. He couldn’t see Yangyang’s face as the smaller boy pulled away from him, but he could see the way Donghyuck’s shoulders squared, his jaw setting.

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t seem to have missed Donghyuck’s change in posture.

“Come on,” Daniel said, his gaze sliding over to Yangyang as he reached out his hand. “We didn’t win, so you shouldn’t celebrate with them.”

“Yangyang, can celebrate with his friends if he wants to, Daniel.”

Yukhei startled at Mark’s sudden voice. He hadn’t even noticed Mark come up behind him. Mark’s sudden appearance seemed to garner the attention of the people around them.

“Mark,” Daniel took another step forward, his voice losing its demanding undertone, though it was still tinged with the bitter edge of loss. “You came to watch the game?”

Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Everyone came to watch the game, Daniel.”

The Gryffindor captain lightly shook his head. “Not everyone. You don’t care about Quidditch. I remember, when I asked you to come to my game last year, you told me that it didn’t matter. You told me your presence in the stands wouldn’t make a difference for the end result and that I should just leave you alone with your books.”

“Maybe I changed my mind. Maybe you didn’t know me as well as you thought you did. Or maybe, I changed. People do that sometimes, you know? They can just,” Mark’s smile held no light as he snapped his fingers, “change within the blink of an eye and there’s nothing you can do.”

Daniel’s expression faltered. “Mark, you know I didn’t—I never meant to hurt you. I told you, _he_ put his wicked charms on me.”

Daniel pointed to where Jungwoo was standing with the rest of the Slytherin crowd, shrinking in on himself at Daniel’s words.

“Mark!” Donghyuck hissed, but Mark paid him no mind as he bridged the distance between himself and Daniel.

Yukhei felt his stomach churn when Mark raised a hand to touch Daniel’s cheek, the Gryffindor’s eyes going wide as saucers.

“I was really flattered, you know? I wondered a lot why you picked me.”

Daniel’s nostrils flared, but Mark gave him no chance to speak.

“The rose-coloured reasons I came up with are a lot darker these days, and yet they’re also clearer. Sometimes I want to ask you. Did you think I’d look good on your arm? Did you think if you just spent enough afternoons in the library with me, I’d give you what you want?” Mark shook his head. “In the end, I think it doesn’t matter. Everything that I am wasn’t enough to hold your interest, we have to face it, or your eye would have never wandered. If I had been enough then you never would have tried to get with my best friend behind my back, but you did and that’s on you, Daniel.”

Mark let his fingers slide down Daniel’s cheek to curl them around the Gryffindor’s chin instead, “You’ve already lost once today, don’t make a fool of yourself twice. And leave my friends alone. They’re not responsible for your infidelity.”

With that, Mark took a step backward and then another, right into Donghyuck’s chest. Donghyuck didn’t lose any time to slide his arms around Mark’s waist from behind, pressing his face into Mark’s nape. Yukhei could see the tension ease out of Mark’s shoulders.

Mark kept his head high as Daniel’s face slowly adapted the scarlet colour of his uniform. It looked like there were words stuck in the captain’s throat, but none of them made their way over his lips when he cleared it. Time seemed to stand still for only a moment before he was moving, stalking off the pitch with drawn up shoulders and his broom clutched too tightly in his hand.

“Bye bye,” Yukhei could hear Yangyang murmur under his breath.

Mark turned around in Donghyuck’s embrace.

“Do you know?” he asked and Yukhei could hear Jungwoo gasp.

Donghyuck lifted his head slowly, his mouth twitching. His eyes seemed to be molten lava as he perused Mark’s face. “Do I know what, Mark Lee?”

Mark shook his head and then he was laughing, a near hysterical giggle spilling over his lips as he curled one hand around the back of Donghyuck’s neck while grabbing onto Donghyuck’s necklace with the other. He tugged on the chess piece, tugging Donghyuck closer to him.

“You haven’t forgiven me yet, but I don’t want to wait any longer, Duckie. I already wasted so much time.”

“Mark,” Donghyuck tilted his head, cocking a single eyebrow, “what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I love you, Donghyuck Seo.” A blinding smile and then Mark was leaning in, his lips nearly close enough to brush Donghyuck’s. “You’re the one that I love. Can I be your choice?”

There was a breath that passed between them, a heartbeat that Yukhei felt as ten and then Donghyuck was framing Mark’s face with his fingers, his lips stretching into a broad smile. “You’ve always been my choice, Mark Lee.”

They leaned in at the same time, lips brushing before Mark surged forward and kissed Donghyuck properly and Yukhei laughed at the abundance of whistles that filled the air, the “Get it, Seo!” that one of the Slytherin players yelled out.

Donghyuck and Mark seemed to hear none of it as Donghyuck pushed Mark’s glasses up for him before kissing him over and over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would a Slytherin prince be without their Ravenclaw...we shall never have to find out, hehe!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)


	11. Antidote

Yukhei smoothed down the front of his robes before he knocked on the door to Taeil’s office after morning classes. He’d been summoned by Taeil during breakfast and with the next full moon still a week away, Yukhei couldn’t help but feel nervous as to why Taeil wanted to see him beforehand. He wondered whether he had done something wrong, whether his last homework had been so terrible that Taeil had seen to need to call him in for an intervention, but Yukhei felt all his worries dissipate when he entered the office to find a familiar, scarlet-haired figure sit in the arm chair opposite of Taeil’s desk.

An excited yelp left Yukhei’s lips and he bounded over, stopping himself only at the last moment to give the doctor time to get out of his chair and open his arms before he fell into them.

Taeyong patted his shoulders in greeting. “Hello, Lucas! How have you been?”

Yukhei answered by squeezing the wizard’s smaller frame tightly, laughing into his ear.

“I take it you’ve been well, then?” Taeyong searched Yukhei’s eyes for confirmation when they pulled apart.

Yukhei nodded. “You too?”

Taeyong smiled as he sat back down in his chair, beckoning Yukhei to take a seat in the chair next to him. “I’ve been very well. A bit pre-occupied with wedding preparations, but not enough to not bring you this.”

Taeyong pointed at the sleek, wooden box sitting in the middle of Taeil’s desk.

“For me?” Yukhei asked, glancing at Taeil to see whether his teacher had more information.

Taeil’s all-knowing smile had become a source of comfort for him, but Taeil’s eyes remained on Taeyong and Yukhei was quick to mirror him. Taeyong leaned forward to pull the box closer to them, opening the lid. Inside was a cast iron goblet, along with a row of over a dozen vials filled with the same, purple liquid.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t give it to you the first time, I didn’t have enough time to gather all the ingredients and the brewing process is very complicated, but this batch was successful and it should hold you over until I can bring you more.”

Taeyong picked up the goblet first, setting it down at the edge of the desk before he picked up one of the vials and emptied its contents into it.

Hesitantly, Yukhei accepted the goblet when Taeyong handed it over to him. “What is it?”

“It’s wolfsbane potion,” Taeyong pronounced the name carefully to help him understand. “It’s made to help you during the full moon. You have to drink it.”

“Oh.” Yukhei sniffed the concoction and scrunched up his nose.

“I know.” Sympathy shone bright in Taeyong’s eyes. “Sugar makes it ineffective, otherwise I would have added some.”

“It is okay.” Yukhei didn’t want the doctor to think he didn’t appreciate his efforts. “Thank you so much.”

Taeyong’s expression softened. “You’re welcome, Lucas. Now, the whole goblet.”

Yukhei nodded, pinched his nose and poured the potion down his throat. It was disgusting, tasted no better than mud, but he forced himself to swallow every drop until he could feel it slosh around in his stomach. His insides roiled. The other did not like it.

Wiping his mouth, Yukhei held the goblet out for Taeyong. Taeyong took it back, putting the goblet back onto its velvet bedding.

“One dose every day for the week leading up to the full moon. It can not cure you, but it should be able to alleviate the effects.” A small smile appeared on Taeyong’s face, the curl of his mouth almost apologetic. “It’s not a cure, but it’s the best I can do.”

Yukhei wondered whether the doctor would believe him if he fell to his knees and bowed to show his gratitude. He slid off his chair and walked the short distance over to the doctor’s chair on his knees, winding his arms around Taeyong’s legs as he pressed his face into the doctor’s stomach. 

He could hear Taeyong utter a surprised noise above him, but Taeyong was quick to rub his back, caress his hair. “It’s okay, Lucas, it will all be okay. It hurts you a lot, doesn’t it?”

Yukhei nodded against the doctor’s stomach. He would have gladly forced down the wolfsbane potion every hour of every day if it meant being relieved of only a fraction of the pain that the transformation brought him. He didn’t look up until he felt another set of hands soothing him and when he looked up, he found Taeil crouched next to him.

His glasses had slid down the bridge of his nose, so Yukhei could see directly into his eyes as he smiled. “It will be just fine, dear boy. We’ll take care of you.”

Yukhei nodded, wiped his nose with the back of his hand before he was handed a handkerchief by Taeyong. Falling onto his butt, he blew his nose while Taeyong continued to stroke his hair. Eventually, he let Taeil help him to his feet and the doctor rose with them.

“Taeil will keep the wolfsbane in his office. You have to come by after dinner every night and then he will give you your dose.”

Yukhei nodded. He could do that.

Taeyong smiled as he lifted himself up onto his tippy toes to bring Yukhei into a hug once more. “I will get going now, but I’m only ever an owl away. Be well, Lucas. I will come back with the next batch soon.”

Yukhei held onto the doctor as tightly as he dared to before he let go, watched as Taeyong pulled Taeil into a hug as well before he paid his final goodbyes. The ache of having to see Taeyong leave was soothed over a little by Taeil’s shoulder.

“Now, Lucas, a cup of tea?”

Eagerly, Yukhei nodded. He followed Taeil over to the sofa in his office and sat down with him until Taeil told him he’d have to get ready for afternoon classes soon and Yukhei should go to the Great Hall to catch the end of lunch time.

When Yukhei entered the Great Hall, he was happy to find that most of his friends were still eating, crowded around the far end of the Hufflepuff table. A couple of Yukhei’s housemates looked a little bemused by the abundance of Slytherin at their table, but Yukhei figured that Jaemin was a regular fixture at their table anyways and it was hard to find Donghyuck intimidating when he was so boisterously laughing at what Mark was telling him, pressing his chin into the arm Mark had curled around his shoulder. On Mark’s other side, Chenle was happily chatting with Felix while Hyunjin watched them with eyes just as wide as Jisung’s.

Yukhei sat down at the very end of the bench next to Jungwoo, tuning into the conversation Jungwoo was having with Renjun and Yangyang. Yukhei laughed when he realised that the two of them were trying to convince Jungwoo to give them a History of Magic essay he had already done the year before.

A groan left Yangyang’s lips when Jungwoo turned away from them to smile at Yukhei instead, “And we’ve lost him.”

“Hi, Lucas,” Jungwoo’s voice drowned him out.

“Jungwoo.” Yukhei smiled, noticing that Jungwoo looked especially pretty today. His hair was a little more ruffled than usual, curling at the ends which was something that happened when he let his hair dry without a drying spell after showering.

Jungwoo’s smile widened and he tugged on Yukhei’s ear. “Have you even eaten yet? Where did you go after Potions?”

Yukhei felt his cheeks burn. He couldn’t quite meet Jungwoo’s eyes as he tried to come up with a lie. “Uhm, back to dorm. Nap.”

“Really,” Yangyang said, “because Mark said you headed off in the direction of North Tower when we asked him earlier.”

Yukhei felt his palms start to sweat under the sudden scrutiny of his friends. He opened his mouth, willing his brain to come up with a quick explanation that would erase the furrow between Jungwoo’s brows, but there were no words in his brain, no words making their way up his throat.

He was saved when there was a yell from further down the table and they all turned their heads to see Donghyuck pull Jisung out of the way as a thin, winding snake wound his way between the cups and dishes on the table.

“Jaemin!” Jeno scolded a flabbergasted looking Jaemin, who was still holding his wand, a scrap of parchment in his fist.

“Sorry! Shit, Chenle, get out of the way! Nono, you know Transfiguration is not my strength! Professor Hani didn’t write down how many times we’re supposed to swish our wands!”

“That’s what you get for doing your homework at the lunch table,” Donghyuck commented, but there was laughter sitting in the corner of his mouth.

Yangyang laughed openly, wheezing until Renjun had to hit him on the back so that he might be able to suck air into his lungs again. Yukhei found himself instinctively smiling along when Mark got up to point his wand at the sidewinder, transfiguring it back into what it had once been, namely Jaemin’s fork.

Jaemin picked his fork up with flaming cheeks. “Thanks, Mark.”

Mark winked at him.

“At least now you know that you can do the spell,” Renjun said and Yukhei watched Jaemin’s ears turn a deeper shade of red as he scrambled to sit back down.

“Hey, Lucas,” Jungwoo’s sweet voice in his ear stole away his attention.

Yukhei tilted his head to meet Jungwoo’s gaze, beautiful brown eyes blinking back at him. “Do you want to come with me after lunch? We have an hour until Care for Magical Creatures and I wanted to check up on the plants.”

Yukhei nodded. He wished Jungwoo would’ve known by now, that Yukhei always wanted to be around him. That he would’ve followed him everywhere. Yukhei looked at his hands. The skin was unblemished, unscathed except for the callouses on his palms where he usually gripped his broom handle.

He wondered, what it would have been like if he had met Jungwoo before his own death, early enough for his hands to receive markings that would tell of his devotion. He supposed that it didn’t matter. He supposed that there was no sense in thinking about what could’ve been when he was allowed to have Jungwoo in his new life. He thought that he ought to tell him soon, how he felt. Even if Jungwoo was brighter than him, so endlessly lovely where Yukhei had been robbed of his best attributes, Jungwoo might still give him a chance.

And Yukhei wanted to be truthful. If he could not be truthful about his circumstances, he wanted to be truthful about his heart, beating faster at the sight of Jungwoo as it did.

He smiled when his long fingers were covered by Jungwoo’s elegant ones. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet Jungwoo’s. “We go together.”

*

Among all of the plants in the greenhouse, Yukhei liked the teethed succulents best. As much as they had snapped at his fingers in the beginning, his presence seemed to have grown on the plants.

Leaning further over the work table, he tickled the small succulent in front of him by its outer leaves, watched as they wriggled and then unfolded to reveal a small, teethed maw in their middle. Yukhei picked up his wand and pointed it at the jar of dead mayflies by his elbow.

 _“Wingardium Leviosa,”_ he pronounced as carefully as possible, put all his intent behind the spell and was delighted when one of the dead mayflies lifted into the air, followed the direction of his wand until the succulent’s maw snapped up and caught the mayfly between its teeth.

Yukhei tickled the underside of the leaves once more until the leaves concealed the maw and Yukhei could move on to the next plant. He had worked his way through about half of the dozen succulents lined up on the work table in front of him when the door to the greenhouse opened and Chenle and Jisung came in.

Yukhei eagerly waved at them, a yelp escaping him when the succulent that he was currently trying to feed snapped at the fingers he had rested on the edge of the pot. Chenle laughed as he skipped over, wasting no time climbing onto the table top to get a closer look.

“Are you feeding the Snapping Sweetfangs?” 

His hands reached out for one of the plants, but Jisung caught it before Chenle could touch the shimmering leaves and shook his head. Chenle pouted but obliged him, folding his hands in his lap. His smile hadn’t lost any of his brilliance as he looked up at Yukhei. Yukhei puffed out his chest and picked up his wand once more.

“Watch,” he told his friends and demonstrated how he fed the plants.

Chenle clapped for them at the end of his demonstration.

“Is Jungwoo here?” he asked as he climbed off the table top. Jisung caught him when he jumped. “We need help with our Herbology assignment and Donghyuck is too busy mooning over Mark’s face to show us his notes.”

“There,” Yukhei said and pointed at the back of the green house where Jungwoo was kneeling in one of the flower beds, his back turned to them as he focussed on his work. “With the flowers.”

“A many thanks!” Chenle beamed before he bounded off.

Yukhei was surprised when Jisung stayed with him, but happily scooted over on his stool when Jisung pressed into his side, his eyes glued to the succulents in front of them. “Can you do it again?”

Yukhei put the fed succulent in line with its siblings before grabbing a new, hungry one. He twirled his wand in his hands.

“Help me with the glass?” he asked and Jisung picked it up, opening the lid when Yukhei motioned him to.

They both smiled when Yukhei performed the levitation spell successfully and a mayfly flew into the succulent’s maw. Yukhei intently watched the succulent munch on its snack and so it took him a moment to react when Jisung’s fingers dug into his biceps.

The other boy’s eyes were open wide when Yukhei did look at him, mouth ajar to allow shallow, forced breaths to pass over his lips.

Yukhei’s heart skipped a beat before it doubled its pace. “Sungie?”

Jisung shook his head. “Not me.” One of his hands came up to press against his chest while he propped himself up on the table top with the other. “It’s not me.”

His eyes flickered to the back of the greenhouse and Yukhei felt panic rise in his chest along with the one in Jisung’s eyes. Yukhei wasted no time sliding off his stool and running off to where he knew Jungwoo was with Chenle, or where they had been. Yukhei felt his heartbeat kick up another notch when he saw that the flower beds were empty. Turning his head left and right, he made his way over to the hedge that ran through the middle of the greenhouse, obscuring half from view.

It was the noise, more than anything, that told him he had had the right instinct when he passed through the opening in the hedge. Beyond were the more light-sensitive plants, the ceiling covered with a night sky charm. In the dark, Yukhei could just barely make out Jungwoo and Chenle crouched down in front of one of the flower fields. Yukhei had forgotten the names of the flowers but he liked them because of their beautiful, fluorescent blue petals that cast an ethereal light onto the vitreous walls.

Yukhei squinted into the dark as he approached. He didn’t realise what was wrong until he noticed just how dark it was. There was no cobalt blue hue lighting up the dark. Where the flowers were, their stems stood with their petals either destroyed or gone. Something or someone had plucked almost all of them off and there were only a few, sporadic spots of blue left that hinted at the abundance of beautiful petals there once had been.

Yukhei felt his heart seize at the distressed noise Chenle let out as the younger boy tried to get a motionless Jungwoo to move. Jungwoo was sitting on his haunches, his fists curled by his side as he stared at the ravaged flower bed in front of them. In the dark, Yukhei could just barely make out the silent tears running down his cheeks, filling his eyes that seemed seamlessly black in the low light.

“Chenle,” Yukhei rasped out, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. He laid his hands over Chenle’s shoulders and guided him to step back. Chenle did, allowing Yukhei to take his place and Yukhei thanked him with a silent nod before focussing all of his attention on Jungwoo.

Jungwoo didn’t react when Yukhei called his name.

“Woo,” he tried again and thought of Kunhang, thought of how bitterly his little brother had cried the year that the cat that he had spent an entire winter feeding had disappeared with the spring thaw.

“It probably got eaten by a mountain beast,” Dejun had said back then, voicing out what both he and Yukhei had thought.

Dejun’s words, however, had only served to make Kunhang cry even harder and so Yukhei had ended up threatening his best friend with a curse so gruesome that Kunhang had stopped crying just to start again, this time wailing for Dejun’s sake and not because of the cat.

Yukhei had never cast the spell and they had never found out what had happened to the cat, but Yukhei had never forgotten the pain it had brought Kunhang, to lose what he had raised.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he knelt down by Jungwoo’s side. “I’m so sorry, Jungwoo.”

He was grateful when it seemed like his words reached the other boy. Jungwoo’s mouth opened to allow a miserable noise to spill over his lips. He held tightly onto the hands Yukhei was reaching out for him.

“It’s my fault,” Jungwoo blubbered. “It looks like a pest befell them. I must’ve forgotten to use a snail-repellent spell or put more bloom-strong in the fertilizer or—” Jungwoo broke off with a hiccup. “It’s my fault, Lucas. I didn’t—I didn’t protect them.”

Another miserable sound escaped Jungwoo as he reached out to touch some of the petal-less stems closest to them. The flowers immediately leaned into his touch and Yukhei did his best to hold Jungwoo as Jungwoo held onto the meagre remnants of his hard work. “I’m a terrible herbologist.”

Yukhei frowned. “Not true.”

Jungwoo didn’t look very convinced so Yukhei pulled himself upright on his knees. “Everything,” he gestured at the abundance of plant life around them, “everything was planted by you.” He wished Jungwoo could’ve seen what he saw, all the life around them instead of the dead roses closest. “You’re a good planter.”

Jungwoo sniffled, letting go of Yukhei’s hands to wipe his eyes. He shot Yukhei a shaky smile. “Thank you, Lucas.”

Yukhei shook his head and sat back on his haunches to offer Jungwoo a hug, his arms outstretched as far as they would go. Jungwoo laughed, a weak but sincere sound as he let himself fall into Yukhei’s embrace. Yukhei swayed them from side to side, thought about how he and the cat shared the same fate and how he would never return home, yet he could do this. He could sit here and hold the boy he loved in his arms.

A small smile appeared on Yukhei’s face as the thought settled in his brain. He was not oblivious to his own feelings. He loved Jungwoo. Like the joy he felt, like the sadness and pain, it was a simple emotion. All-encompassing. It began in his chest and stretched into the very tips of his fingers, resounded in his blood and allowed his heart to beat. He loved Jungwoo. Tightening his hold on the other boy, he buried his face in Jungwoo’s shoulder and laughed.

He was in love.

*

Yukhei’s favourite place in the castle were the grounds surrounding it, the open planes before the forest began and the lake where his friends had taken him to see the giant squid during his first week. Yukhei loved to spend time there and even if the outside grounds were his favourite, he could admit that the library had its own appeal. It was quiet, venerable in a way that invoked the most ingrained of his manners in Yukhei to keep his eyes close to the ground and his limbs in line.

He wasn’t quiet by nature, but he made an effort not to disturb anyone as he made his way through the countless aisles. “If you want to find Mark, you have to try the library first,” Renjun had told him once and Yukhei was delighted to find that his friend was right.

Careful not to crash into the book cart rolling his way, books flying up from its surface to slot themselves into their rightful places on the house-high shelves, he skipped down the aisle to where Mark was sitting below one of the big, stained-glass windows. The mermaid depicted on the glass waved back when Yukhei waved at her. He let himself fall into seat opposite of Mark.

“Oh!” Mark startled. “Lucas! What’s up?”

“Hi, Mark!” Yukhei smiled. “How do you tell someone you love them?”

Mark’s eyes bulged, his quill falling from his ink-stained hand. “Wha—what?”

Yukhei faltered, raked his brain for easier words. “You love someone.” He gestured at his heart, then slid his hand up to his mouth. “How to tell them?”

“No, I—” Mark coughed. “I got that. I’m just wondering…are you sure you want to ask _me_ that?”

Yukhei tilted his head to the side. “You told Donghyuck you love him.”

Mark ducked his head, his cheeks burning as he fiddled with his hands. “You’re right, though, I admit, that wasn’t really planned. I kind of just went for it.” A small smile appeared on his face. “I probably should have thought about it beforehand like you, but it just seemed right in that moment and Hyuckie already had been waiting so long for me at that point.”

“Donghyuck loves you.” It was just a fact of life to Yukhei. The sky was blue. The grass was green. Donghyuck loved Mark. Yukhei knew because the light had returned to Donghyuck’s eyes when Mark did.

“I got really lucky. Lucky with him, and lucky that he waited for me.” Mark’s smile dimmed. “I hurt him a lot when I left.”

Yukhei frowned. “Other school, no?” He gestured towards the books scattered around the table. “Work hard?” 

Mark shook his head. “The scholarship was a cover-up. Of course, going to Ilvermorny to study abroad was a dream, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t ask Taeyong to arrange something for me because it allowed me to run away from my problems. That’s on me. I ran away because I didn’t know how to deal with my hurt feelings and bruised ego and all my friends suffered for it.”

“Daniel.” Yukhei scrunched up his nose.

Mark nodded, his gaze falling to his hands once more. Only then did Yukhei realise that he was fiddling with a ring. It was a delicate piece of jewellery, made up of two winding silver snakes intertwining to encase a crest Yukhei didn’t recognise.

“I was so flattered when he asked me out. I wasn’t really popular during first year, so it did a number on me, that when the time came, this cool, popular guy would ask _me_ out.” There was little joy in Mark’s laugh. “I guess that whole thing must be confusing to you, huh?”

Yukhei shook his head. “He hurt you. He hurt Jungwoo. Daniel is bad.” Yukhei sat back in his chair, feeling satisfied with his explanation.

“Daniel’s not—” Mark’s shoulders drew up as he stopped himself short. His grasp on his ring tightened and he sighed. “I guess I should stop defending him. But I’ve learned that not everything is black and white. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t see himself as a bad guy.”

Yukhei huffed. “He should.”

The corner of Mark’s mouth twitched. His eyes were gleaming when he looked up, sparkling as if they were filled with a thousand stars. Maybe, Yukhei thought, maybe he could understand why Mark’s return had caused such an uproar.

Mark reached across the table, covering Yukhei’s hand with his own. “Thank you for being my friend, Lucas.”

“You told Daniel!” Yukhei grinned. “Everyone was there and—boom!” Yukhei mimicked puffing out his chest. “You told him!”

Mark laughed, sincerely this time, while he covered his face with his hands. “I did, didn’t I?”

“I’m glad you came back,” Yukhei said earnestly. “Happy friends makes me happy too.”

“You know,” Mark laughed, “you’re partially responsible for that! Yangyang wrote to me about you, told me about this tall, handsome boy that had transferred in and swept everyone off their feet. I was really scared Donghyuck might fall in love with you. I left thinking I had all the time in the world, but I didn’t realise until then how much of it I had already wasted.”

Yukhei gaped at him, mesmerised by such an idea. A world in which the sky was yellow. “But Donghyuck loves you!”

“Yeah,” Mark sat back in his seat, looking radiant with happiness. “Donghyuck loves me.”

“I do.”

They both turned their heads when Donghyuck’s familiar voice sounded down the aisle, the boy himself approaching them with his hands in his pockets. He looked pleased as punch as he came to a halt behind Mark’s chair, running a beringed hand through Mark’s black locks pulling tight. 

Yukhei swallowed when Donghyuck leaned down so Mark and him were at eye-level, the corners of his mouth turning down dangerously. “Were you talking shit about me?”

Where Yukhei had expected Mark to be as intimidated as he felt, Mark only snorted and then brushed his fingers over Donghyuck’s cheek before pressing a short kiss against his lips. “Hardly.”

That seemed to be enough to break Donghyuck’s façade and then he was laughing, letting himself fall into the chair next to Mark.

“Hello, Lucas,” Donghyuck grinned at him. Happiness, Yukhei noted, made Donghyuck look radiant, his smile outshining all the silver he was wearing. “What are you doing here in this stuffy library on this beautiful afternoon? Unless you’ve decided to get a head start on your seventh-year homework like Mark, too?”

“Oh, actually Lucas—”

“Nothing,” Yukhei cut him short. He smiled as he pushed his chair back, pulled himself to his feet. He didn’t want to take up any more of Mark’s time now that Donghyuck was here to steal the rest of it. “I go. You stay. Thank you, Mark. For helping me.”

Mark’s eyebrows rose to his forehead. “Did I? But didn’t you want to—”

“It’s okay.” Yukhei laughed as he shook his head. “You helped.”

“Oh.” Mark perked up in his seat. “Well, then I’m glad!”

Yukhei waved, turning his head away when Donghyuck leaned into his boyfriend. He left the library with a spring in his step. Even if Mark had never answered his question, he had still helped. He had shown Yukhei that it could be easy. That the sky was blue and the grass was green and everything that Yukhei wanted was not out of reach.

He didn’t have all of the words he would’ve wished for, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use the ones he did have.

His thigh muscles were killing him by the time he had made it up to the seventh-floor, so he was thankful when he could rest against the wall. He waited until finally, two girls appeared at the end of the landing. They shot him curious glances when he approached them.

“Excuse me,” he put on his friendliest smile. “Can you help me get inside?”

One of them smiled back, but the other held her back. “What do you want in the Gryffindor common room?”

He shrugged. “My friend.”

The girl that had asked scrunched up her nose. “You don’t have to come inside. We can get him for you.”

Yukhei sighed, accepting his fate. “Yangyang,” he said, “his name is Yangyang.” He pointed at himself. “Lucas.”

“Hi, Lucas,” the other girl said and he smiled at her. He liked her better. She was nice.

The both of them disappeared behind the portrait of the Fat Lady and Yukhei waited patiently until the painting swung open once more to reveal a very bemused looking Yangyang.

“Lucas?” he hurried over once he saw Yukhei leaned against the wall. “Is everything okay?”

Yukhei nodded before he shook his head and Yangyang frowned at him. “You’re not sure whether everything is okay?” 

Yukhei smiled sheepishly. “Not sure whether you think it’s okay.”

Yangyang’s brows drew up to his hairline before he lightly shook his head and then Yukhei yelped when Yangyang clasped his face between his hands, pressing his cheeks between his hands.

“You’re not hurt?”

Yukhei shook his head and saw Yangyang’s shoulders visibly relax.

“But you came here to talk to me?”

Yukhei nodded.

“Okay.” Yukhei breathed in deeply when Yangyang let go of him. The Gryffindor crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Then tell me, why did you come here?”

Yukhei shuffled on his feet, feeling a little sheepish, but he didn’t know who else he could’ve asked. “Will you help me do something bad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, bad boy. Bad... wolf?  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)


	12. Yellow

Yukhei felt giddy as he led Jungwoo towards the green house. The waxing moon stood high in the sky and its silver light made Yukhei’s skin prickle, but even the moon could not make him take his eyes off of Jungwoo at this moment. He looked enchanting in the moonlight.

“I’m really curious,” Jungwoo whispered, hiding a giggle behind his hand. “You must know that we’re forbidden from roaming the grounds this late at night.”

“I know.” Yukhei pressed a finger against his lips. “We are quiet.”

Jungwoo’s smile was bright enough to light up the night and Yukhei felt his heart squeeze in his chest with excitement. He steered them towards the last of the green houses of the row.

“Number six?” Jungwoo frowned as Yukhei tapped his wand against the lock to send the chain locking it spiralling to the ground. “We don’t really use that one. It’s more storage than anything else”

Yukhei only smiled, loosening his tie and pulling it out of his collar of his dress shirt before he held it up to Jungwoo’s face. “Can I?”

Jungwoo’s widened. “You want to blindfold me?”

“It’s a surprise,” Yukhei explained, lightly jutting out his bottom lip. “Please.”

Jungwoo exhaled through his nose, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Okay.” Yukhei beamed and Jungwoo’s gaze softened. “I trust you, Lucas.”

Yukhei thought that if his chest swelled any more with pride, he might have lifted off the ground. He was careful not to get any of Jungwoo’s silver strands caught in the fabric as he tied the tie around his eyes, folding Jungwoo’s arm into the crook of his own so he could guide him.

This close to him, Yukhei could hear the slight stutter to Jungwoo’s breath and was careful that neither of them tripped as he led him into the greenhouse. He had hexed the glass so it would only display darkness from the outside, while the inside was filled with a yellow glow that cast intriguing shadows onto Jungwoo’s face.

He steered them towards the centre of the greenhouse, positioning Jungwoo right where he wanted him before he stepped behind him.

“I made this for you,” he said as he tugged on the knot of the makeshift blindfold. “I hope you like it.”

Withstanding the urge to drop a kiss to Jungwoo’s shoulder, Yukhei took off the tie and let Jungwoo take in their surroundings. His lips split into a grin when he saw the way Jungwoo’s jaw dropped, eyes roaming over the abundance of plant life around them, a thousand flowers that all bloomed in vibrant shades of yellow.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo’s voice was breathless as he blindly grasped onto Yukhei’s arm. “What is this? Did you—did _you_ do this?”

Yukhei nodded, revelling in the absolute awe on Jungwoo’s face.

“When—Merlin, _how_?”

“Yangyang helped.” Yukhei admitted with a shrug. “We broke in. Sorry.”

Jungwoo shook his head, his eyes sparkling as he tugged Yukhei with him to take a closer look at the closest flowers. His expression turned reverent as he ran his fingers over the glowing petals. “Don’t apologise. They’re beautiful.”

Yukhei thought his heart might beat out of his chest with how fast it was going. “You like it?”

“So much.” A tender smile appeared on Jungwoo’s face as he pulled himself upright again. “It’s lovely, Lucas. You’re so lovely.”

“And you’re the most beautiful of them all.”

He could see the exact moment his words registered in Jungwoo’s brain. Jungwoo’s entire frame froze mid-breath, his eyes rapidly flicking back and forth to search for the truth in Yukhei’s eyes.

Yukhei held his gaze, not backing away from his own words. It made his heart pound, sweat trickling down his nape, but he held Jungwoo’s gaze until Jungwoo looked away first, the yellow glow of the flowers mirrored in his dark irides.

Jungwoo’s voice went squeaky on the last syllable, “What do you mean, Lucas?”

Yukhei inhaled deeply, slightly widened his stance. He had prepared himself for this moment. He took both of Jungwoo’s hands in his, squeezing when he felt a light tremor to Jungwoo’s fingers. “I planted the flowers for you. They are yellow, because yellow is happy and you make me happy. You make me happy because I love you. I love you, Jungwoo.”

He was brave enough to gauge Jungwoo’s reaction as soon as he spoke, licked his lips when Jungwoo stared at him, stared even after Yukhei had finished speaking. Yukhei felt a flutter of worry in his chest. But then Jungwoo was moving, his hands framing Yukhei’s face.

“Lucas,” he said, his voice shaking.

Yukhei nodded. He was Lucas.

“No.”

Yukhei’s heart ground to a halt. “No?”

He could see tears brimming in Jungwoo’s eyes as his hands fell from Yukhei’s face. Jungwoo took a step away from him and pulled his wand. He pressed the tip of it against his own temple, the spell that came over his lips not louder than a whisper. Yukhei’s eyes widened as the brown bled out of Jungwoo’s irides, giving way to a bright, purple colour that made him look even more otherworldly than he already was.

“Jungwoo,” Yukhei breathed out. “Your eyes—”

“It’s an illusion, Lucas.” Yukhei’s breath caught in his throat because there was agony in Jungwoo’s eyes, lips quivering as he pressed them together. “You don’t love me. Your—your feelings are not your own. I’m manipulating you.”

There was desperation in Jungwoo’s purple eyes, desperation for Yukhei to understand. “It’s a spell that binds you to me, Lucas, not your heart.”

“No.” Yukhei felt panic rise in his chest. He grabbed onto Jungwoo’s hand, pressed it against his chest where his heart was thundering painfully against his rib cage. “No! My heart beats for you! Listen!”

Jungwoo shook his head. He pulled his hand out of Yukhei’s grasp and Yukhei felt that he was losing more than just his touch.

The laugh that came over his lips was bitter. “It does not, Lucas. And I don’t blame you for that! You never had a chance to resist my charms. I’m a half-veela. Do you know what that means? Do you understand why I can never be sure that you love me for me?”

“Please,” Yukhei felt himself splinter. Jungwoo was rejecting him. “Please.”

“I’m really sorry, Lucas.” The tears that had been brimming in Jungwoo’s eyes fell. “I can’t be with you. I want to,” Jungwoo’s smile was watery. “You’re so lovely, Lucas, you don’t even know how lovely you are. But you don’t love me, and you deserve better to waste your time on me and I deserve better than that, too. It’s a beautiful illusion, but it will never be more than that. Your love for me will never be true.”

“But I do love you,” Yukhei said helplessly, felt how his words drove Jungwoo further away from him, but he didn’t have others. “I love you. Please! I think about you! Even when we’re not together! You’re all I think about!”

Jungwoo shook his head. “That’s not how it works, Lucas. I’m so sorry. I have to break the spell now, or it will only hurt worse later.”

Yukhei didn’t believe that. He had had every bone in his body broken and rearranged twice over by now and it did not compare to the pain he was experiencing right in this moment, when Jungwoo had snuffed out the hope he had had for his new life. Jungwoo, who had _been_ his hope. 

“Please,” he tried one last time, his voice no louder than a whisper.

“I’m really sorry, Lucas.”

Yukhei squeezed his eyes shut. He felt hands on his neck, palms against his cheeks as warmth fanned over his face. Jungwoo’s lips tasted like salt, tasted like everything Yukhei wanted and never would have.

His frame shook with the sob that wretched itself out of his throat. His vision didn’t clear even when he blinked. There were too many tears, and yet not enough. Not enough to make Jungwoo stay.

Blindly, he reached out but his hand grasped nothing but air and when he wiped his eyes, he found that he was alone.

His knees hit the ground heart, but it was a dull sensation against the overwhelming ache in his chest. Letting out a low, animalistic sound, he clutched his heart, willing it to stop hurting so much. The heartbreak he felt was overwhelming, so intense that it took over every single one of his senses and gave him no chance to escape the truth.

Jungwoo had rejected him.

The boy he loved did not want him. Yukhei understood now, why there had been agony in Jungwoo’s eyes.

He reached inside his pocket for his wand. The words spilled over his lips before he properly recall them. Guided by his mother tongue, the magic found its purpose even before he had finished the incantation. He dropped his wand when the first of the plants began to wither in front of his eyes, bright yellow petals turning black from the inside out.

With hot tears soaking the earth beneath him, Yukhei gasped, dug his hands into the soft, tear-soaked earth and watched the plants he had grown die like his heart had died.

*  
When he stumbled into his dormitory that night, Yukhei found the curtains of Jungwoo’s bed drawn tightly and a twig on his pillow. Yukhei frowned, picked it up and inspected the single bud on the side of the wood before he closed his fist around it. He didn’t mean to snap the twig in half, but when he uncurled his fingers to drop the twig into his bedside drawer, two halves fell from his fingers.

There were too many other thoughts swirling around in his head, all connected to the unreachable boy sleeping a little more than a metre away from him and, fearful that the agony coursing through his body might tear him apar, he hurried to slip under his own covers, pulling his blanket around himself as tightly as it would go before he squeezed his eyes shut.

He didn’t get a wink of sleep that night and by the time the sun rose, he had forgotten all about the present left on his pillow.

*

Sweat dripped into Yukhei’s eyes as he slowly lowered his broom to the ground, his legs nearly giving out when he landed. He stumbled a little when Yuqi came up to him and clapped him on the back.

“Great practice, Lucas!”

Yukhei did his best to smile. It didn’t come easy to him these days, but he wanted to try. He, Yuqi and Felix were the only players still left on the field. The three of them had stayed longer for some extra Chaser practice and Yukhei knew that they had done so for his sake more than anyone else’s.

He appreciated it, the open-handed effort his team was putting into bringing him up to speed with the rules of the game.

“I try.” He tried to breathe past the nausea rising in his throat, tried hard to keep the smile on his face. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” Yuqi tugged her hair out of its ponytail, blowing air when one of the strands fell into hair face. Her steps were bouncy. “With how it’s going, I don’t doubt we can win against Ravenclaw!”

“Yes!” It was impossible to match Yuqi’s enthusiasm, but once more he tried.

He was rewarded with a broad grin before she steered away from him and in the direction of the changing rooms. Yukhei followed Felix to the opposite cabin, gripping his broom tightly so it wouldn’t slip from his fingers. His Nimbus had survived Jaemin’s lending without so much as a chip and he was glad for it, glad also for the brilliant smile on Jaemin’s face when he had given it back.

“Use it well, so we’ll see each other in the finale.”

Yukhei planned to do so.

But that was a thought for after the full moon, already singing in his blood even though it was still light out. He’d go to Taeil’s office straight from the Quidditch pitch, he decided as he entered the changing room. The air was too stale, suffocating where he already felt too big for his skin. As quickly as his shaking hands allowed him, he shed his gear and waved Felix off when the other boy asked whether he should wait for him.

Yukhei was glad to be alone for a moment. He sat down on one of the benches and forced his nausea to subside once more. His head fell to his hands and he focussed on his breathing, allowed his eyes to slip shut as he tried to force down the other that was clawing at his insides. It was eager to break through his skin, eager to turn him into the monster he so desperately wished he wasn’t.

“Lucas?”

Yukhei smiled at the voice, coming to him as if from a dream. There was comfort in the way it called him, always called to him.

“Lucas? Are you in here? Felix told me you looked sickly when he left, so I thought I’d—Lucas!”

Jungwoo’s alarmed voice made Yukhei lift his head, enough to make out Jungwoo’s familiar shape coming closer. It hurt to look at him, but that didn’t mean that Yukhei could look away. He blinked until he could make out Jungwoo’s face past the black spots in his vision. A weak smile made its way onto his lips. Even marred with worry, Jungwoo’s face was so heartachingly beautiful.

“Lucas, what’s wrong? Merlin, you’re burning up!”

Jungwoo’s cool hands were a blessing to his overheated skin, his face so close to Yukhei’s and Yukhei didn’t meant to lean into it as much as he did, he was tipping forward, bowling Jungwoo over on his way down. He barely realised himself lying on top of the other boy, Jungwoo’s breath fanning over his face and wide, spell-brown eyes boring into his own before the last of his rational mind caught up and he jerked to roll off of him. Pain bloomed in his shoulder upon impact with the ground but it was nothing in comparison to the dull pain coursing through the rest of his body.

“Lucas!” Jungwoo sat up, tugging on his arm to pull him upright too. “Are you okay?”

Yukhei wanted to laugh, his mouth cracking open into a grin. He thought of dew-tipped trees and the cold, cold ground, the pounding of his own heart and a growl to shake the earth. His own eyes were golden now, too, but back then the sight had frozen the blood in his veins because he had known that they belonged to a creature that would bring him his end.

It had brought him his end and he had survived and still his heart was dead.

He laughed because he was sure that if he cried any more, his tear ducts might never close up again. Silver light flooded his vision and he blinked the tears out of his eyes to see a silver doe prance through the air around him before it galloped out of the changing room.

With Jungwoo’s help, he sat up enough so that he could slump against the other boy, his forehead falling to Jungwoo’s shoulder as he tried to regain control of his breathing. It hurt to be so close to Jungwoo, but his broken heart was overruled by the way he was grounded by Jungwoo’s arms around him, holding him together as he tried to put his limbs and mind back in order. There was too much comfort in the feeling of Jungwoo’s hand sliding up his back, fingers curling into his hair.

Jungwoo’s lips pressed against his cheek, pressed against the shell of his ear. “Lucas, tell me. Did someone do this to you?”

Yukhei shook his head, his stomach flipping with another bout of nausea but he managed to force it back down.

“Bad food,” he heaved out, wincing at how unconvincing his lie sounded even to his own ears, but he couldn’t think of a better excuse in that moment. “Practice was too much. Sorry.”

Jungwoo’s arms tightened around him. “Don’t apologise.”

It was too tempting. Yukhei buried his face in Jungwoo’s shoulder when Jungwoo’s hands returned to his hair, carding through the sweat-damp strands.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Yukhei looked up when the door to the changing room opened once more and Jeno and Jaemin rushed in.

“Jungwoo!” Jaemin was the first to reach them. “We were just on our way to Chanyeol’s hut when we saw your patronus! What happened?”

“Is he all right?” Yukhei clung to the calmer tone of Jeno’s voice, smiled when he felt the older touch his shoulder.

“He says he ate something bad.”

“We should take him to the infirmary, then. Madame Yoona will know what to do.”

Yukhei could feel Jungwoo nod against his cheek. “Help me carry him?”

“Of course.” Yukhei willed his limbs to work when he felt Jaemin grab onto one of his arms, slinging it over his shoulder while Jungwoo took the other.

“C’mon, big boy, let’s get you out of here.”

Yukhei grunted when they pulled him to his feet, but he managed to stay upright, taking a few tentative steps towards the exit with the help of his crutches.

“Tell me if he gets too heavy, Jaemin, then we’ll switch.”

Yukhei felt his lips stretch into a small smile at the huff Jaemin let out. His head was too heavy for him to lift it, but he could imagine the indignant expression on Jaemin’s face.

“I can carry him, Nono. Don’t underestimate me!”

“Of course not.”

Yukhei felt Jeno’s hand press against his back in silent comfort and he was thankful for it. He kept his gaze on his feet, trying hard not to stumble as he was led out of the stadium through the tunnel that marked the players’ entrance.

He felt better once he felt the sun on his face, the cold November air doing wonders to cool his blood. His knees wobbled as they slowly walked up the trodden path to the castle, but he felt his friends’ grip on him tighten whenever it looked like his legs threatened to give out.

“Not long anymore,” Jungwoo reassured him. “Just hold tight, Lucas. Just keep on walking.”

It was impossible to resist the sweet, soothing tone of Jungwoo’s voice and so he trudged on, heaving a sigh of relief once they had made it inside the castle.

“Let me take over,” Jeno’s voice said behind him when they looked up the Grand Staircase and Yukhei smiled at the strained breath of relief Jaemin let out as Jeno took his place.

“Nana, you can run ahead and tell Madam Yoona that we’re coming. Lean on me, Lucas, it’s okay. I won’t fold.” Jeno’s voice was so reassuring that Yukhei did as he was told, glad to be able to take some off his weight off of Jungwoo.

“What’s going on here?”

Yukhei looked up at the familiar voice, feeling relief crash over him like a wave.

“Taeil!” Jungwoo called out as the professor descended the stairs toward them with rapid steps. “Did you run into Jaemin?”

“No. I saw.” Yukhei blinked when Taeil framed his face with his hands. He didn’t hide his pain from the professor, found comfort in the knowledge in Taeil’s eyes.

“Can you help him?” Jeno asked.

A beat passed before Taeil turned his head to look at Jeno. “Did Lucas tell you what happened to him?”

“He said he ate something bad,” Jungwoo’s voice was quiet but unnaturally shrill, clearly impatient to get moving once more.

Taeil smiled at him before he began to ascend the stairs. “To the infirmary then. Quick now.”

Yukhei was indefinitely grateful that the infirmary was on the first floor. His thigh muscles were cramping by the time they reached the top of the stairs and he relied on Jeno and Jungwoo to get through the door of the hospital wing.

The air rushed out of his lungs the moment his back hit nearest mattress and while his position was uncomfortable, one leg still on the ground and his arm hanging over the edge, he couldn’t find it in himself to move any further. His skin was damp with his sweat, skin itchy where it was covered by fabric.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo’s voice called out to him, but Jungwoo didn’t get any further with his sentence because in the next moment he was interrupted by Madam Yoona. Yukhei watched as she shooed Jeno, Jaemin and Jungwoo out of the doors.

Yukhei looked up as soon as Taeil and he were alone. “Professor—”

“I know.” Taeil’s hand on his forehead was a blessing. “You didn’t eat anything spoilt. I’m so sorry. It’s the wolfsbane. The potion is supposed to help you during the transformation, but in its essence it’s still poison to your kind. I assume that the dosage Taeyong calculated for your body mass was too high. We will try to lower it a little to not put you through this kind of pain again, but that is something we can only think about only after tonight’s full moon. For now, I fear you have to hold out until your transformation has passed.”

“It’s okay,” Yukhei whispered. He sought out the professor’s hand and was thankful when Taeil allowed him to hold onto him as another wave of nausea washed over him. “Pain is okay. Better than…no help.”

Taeil nodded, squeezing his hand.

His eyes threatened to slip shut when Madame Yoona appeared on the other side of Yukhei’s bed. “Mr Wong, how are you feeling?”

“My body is…” Yukhei fought to force air into his constricted lungs. “…burning. And I want to—” He mimicked throwing up.

A small crease appearing between Madame Yoona’s eyebrows, her gaze flickering over to the window above Yukhei’s bed. “There are about four hours left until sundown. I can give you a mild dosage of Draught of Peace so you may sleep until then. Do you want that?”

Yukhei nodded. “Please.” He’d give anything to be out of his own body for even just a minute.

Madame Yoona nodded, stepping out of sight while Taeil stepped closer. “From now on, I will take you to the Room of Requirement during the mornings. Then you have enough time to prepare yourself.”

Yukhei nodded. “Not your fault,” he pried his eyes open to look the professor in the eye. It was important to him that Taeil knew that.

The professor’s smile softened. “As long as I am your primary guide, my pain is yours, Lucas, but I appreciate the sentiment. I’m going to go and write to Taeyong to see whether he knows any remedy, but I’ll come back right after.”

Yukhei nodded. He wouldn’t have wanted the professor to waste time watching him sleep either way. He focussed on his breathing until Madame Yoona returned with the Draught of Peace, dutifully swallowing the spoon she held out for him. He felt his muscles relax after that, his mind going fuzzy and the cold compress Madame Yoona placed on his forehead offering him some relief for the feverish heat simmering underneath his skin.

He dozed until the sky outside his window turned orange and Taeil returned to his bedside.

“It’s time.”

Yukhei still felt groggy, but he let the professor help him to his feet. He didn’t feel steady on his feet yet, but the little rest he had gotten had definitely helped. He was about to stumble off in the direction of the doors when he was held back by Taeil’s hand against his chest.

“A moment, please, Lucas. I fear your earlier stunt means that we have to take some special measures to hide your presence on the way to the Room.”

Yukhei’s eyes widened with worry. “What?”

“Fear not.” Taeil smiled at him. “I predicted that we might get into such a predicament one day and asked a good friend of mine to teach me just the right charm. Don’t move, please.”

Yukhei held still as the professor pulled his wand, tapping Yukhei on the head with it as he uttered the incantation. Scrunching up his nose, Yukhei grit his teeth.

The feeling was that of cold water seeping over his head, spreading all over his body to leave an unusually heavy sheen. Yukhei gasped when looked down to find that his body had disappeared from sight. There was a light shimmer in the air where he was, but in the darkness it would unnoticeable.

“The disillusionment charm is advanced magic and very hard to spot, so it should keep you safe from prying eyes for the moment. If you’re ready, we can go.”

Yukhei nodded before he realised that the professor couldn’t see him any longer, so he held onto Taeil’s shoulder instead, squeezing it to signal that they could go.

Taeil chuckled and turned to lead Yukhei out of the infirmary. Yukhei noticed that the professor was walking a little slower than usual and smiled at the considerate gesture.

He could feel the full moon rising by the time they had made it up to the fifth floor, his lungs and thigh muscles burning, but the fever simmering beneath his skin wasn’t taking him over just yet.

He leaned against the cool stone wall as Taeil crossed in front of the hidden door, conjuring the Room of Requirement for him. This time, he expected the meadow behind the door.

The ground was covered with dew, the cold night’s air cutting against his exposed skin and if Yukhei’s blood hadn’t been boiling, he was sure he would have shivered. He saw the professor do so as he passed him. He turned around to face Taeil once he had passed over the threshold completely.

The professor pulled his wand, undoing the disillusionment charm before pocketing his wand. “I will come to get you as soon as the sun has risen, just like the last time.”

Yukhei nodded. “Thank you.”

“I wish that you have a good shift, Mr Wong.” Taeil smiled at him and Yukhei found endless comfort in the knowing expression in his eyes, the conviction with which he said, “We will see each other in the morning.”

“In the morning.” Yukhei did his best to smile.

Yukhei held onto the light feeling of Taeil’s answering smile as the door closed behind the professor with a heavy clunk. Like the first time, Yukhei left his clothes by the door, his bare feet crunching the dew beneath him as he crossed the meadow.

Once he had reached the edge of the forest, he laid down on his back, tracing the movement of the sky above him with his eyes. The sky was dark blue now, soon would be black and then there would be no escaping the moon and the changes it would bring him. Its song thrummed in Yukhei’s blood already, blood rushing in his ears as he rolled onto his stomach.

He felt it the moment the first strings of full moonlight broke through the clouds, casting the meadow in silver light that soaked his skin. A dry scream ripped from his throat as every muscle in his body pulled taut enough to break bone, his jaw unhinging as he felt the other taking over and his teeth elongate.

Much to Yukhei’s dismay, the pain didn’t stop after his body had shifted. It was indescribable, the feeling of governing a body that was strange to him and yet his own. His limbs felt sore, his movements instinctual more than practised as he pushed himself onto his paws and sniffed the air. A low whimper escaped his throat when he smelled nothing but himself and the earth around him.

It felt like a silver sling around his neck, the realisation that he was alone.

Thrumming in his blood was the kind of loneliness that might lead to insanity. It gave way for the other to push against his mind once more, his teeth aching with the need to bite and he knew that if he had given himself over to the moon fully, his teeth would have found their way into his own flesh. His heart thundered in his rib cage as he raised his head, opened his maw to howl.

No one answered.

Hapless, he fell onto his hindlegs. The weight of his loneliness was crushing, but he had his mind. He was present even when the other in him had taken over and so he could remember that his torment would only last the night. He whined when he couldn’t recall the sound of his friends’ voices, their laughter and faces, but he did remember that they existed and that he was not alone. Not truly.

 _I can’t lose that thought,_ he thought as he curled in on himself, digging his teeth into the grass to alleviate the overwhelming urge to find flesh to infect. Squeezing his eyes shut, he let the moonlight pull at his skin and tried to remember that while he belonged to the full moon, he also belonged to his friends. Even to Jungwoo, who did not want him. Lucas belonged to his friends and Yukhei would return to be him.

For now, he was the other.

*

He woke up in a bed, his body as sore as it had been after his first transformation, but lacking the sharp sting of any open wounds. A silent sigh of relief left Yukhei’s lips as he fluttered his eyes open, welcoming the familiar sight of the infirmary ceiling.

The ache of the transformation still sat deep in his bones, bringing him memories of the other running, grinding his teeth on the barks of trees and howling until his throat had felt raw.

Yukhei squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the memories down, flexing his muscles to remind himself that his body was human and his own once more.

The quiet sound of metal clinking together was what made him open his eyes again and he nearly flinched when he saw that he wasn’t alone within the curtains surrounding his hospital bed.

Donghyuck was sitting at the foot end of his mattress, playing with a ring that seemed to change colour whenever he pulled it off. It turned deep blue when he put it back on, a small smile playing on his face.

“Good morning, Lucas.”

Yukhei blinked, trailed the movement with his fingers when Donghyuck placed one of his beringed hands on his shin. 

“Jaemin told me what happened. Food poisoning is nasty.” Donghyuck grimaced as he turned his face towards the window. “One time, in third year, Mark ate a spoiled treacle tart and he couldn’t stop projectile vomiting up his food for like an entire week. It was super gross, but I think you dodged that hex.” His eyes were full of worry when he looked back at Yukhei. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Yukhei attempted to say, but his throat constricted halfway through the word and he coughed, pain prickling in his throat as he realised just how raw it was.

“Shit, let me get you some water.”

Yukhei waited patiently as Donghyuck slid off the mattress and bounded over to his bedside table. He watched as his friend filled a goblet with water before holding it to Yukhei’s lips, helping him drink.

“Thank you,” Yukhei rasped out as soon as he had drained the cup down to its last drop, his head falling back to his pillow.

Donghyuck waved him off. “Lucas?” he asked as he looked inside the empty goblet.

“Yes?”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with what happened with you and Jungwoo, does it`?”

Donghyuck might as well have stuck his wand right into Yukhei’s chest with how acutely Yukhei felt the stab in his heart, but he knew that Donghyuck didn’t bear any ill intentions. It was not Donghyuck’s fault that Yukhei’s heart was broken.

He shook his head. “No. I ate old cookies, uh, from my journey.” He attempted a chuckle. “Bad idea.”

Donghyuck nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching before he turned to place Yukhei’s empty goblet on the bedside table. Before he turned back to Yukhei, his eyebrows quirked up.

“Who gave you chocolates?” He picked up the paper-wrapped box sitting on the table.

Yukhei felt his heart skip a beat. “I don’t know,” he lied.

“Huh.” Donghyuck flipped the box over. “No sender, but these are nice. Homemade. Someone must like you.”

Yukhei suppressed a smile. He knew the chocolates were from the doctor and it touched his heart that Taeyong had went out of his way to make sure he had something to dig his teeth into after his transformation, but that wasn’t something Donghyuck could know.

“Do you mind if I take them?”

Yukhei startled. “What? Uh, sure.”

Donghyuck beamed at him, waving the sleek box before letting it disappear inside his robes. “Thank you. I even have something to give you in return. It’s the reason I came here, actually.”

Yukhei’s eyes widened as he watched Donghyuck procure a thick, purple envelope from his breast pocket. Donghyuck handed it over. 

Yukhei’s eyes trailed over the fine, silver lettering of his name that grazed the front of the envelope before he flipped it over and pried it open the wax seal. The card inside was a shade lighter than its envelope and Yukhei smiled at the fine details stamped into the front of it. There was a crest in the centre, the same crest that Yukhei had seen on Mark’s ring. Around it, stems of lavender bloomed at the glide of Yukhei’s finger over the paper.

“Do you like the colour? I helped pick it out.” Donghyuck looked pleased, his legs swinging back and forth as he watched Yukhei study the invitation.

Yukhei nodded. He turned it over and found more lettering on the back. The script was convoluted and he squinted to decipher it, his brain still struggling to piece together the unfamiliar letters, but eventually he managed to make out Taeyong’s name, along with _Youngho Seo XVII_ and then a date.

“It’s a wedding invitation,” Donghyuck provided. “I talked to my cousin and he agreed to send you one, belatedly but it still counts. We’re all going as a group, so obviously you have to come too. Have you ever been to a wedding?”

Yukhei shook his head. He lightly waved the card. “Johnny’s wedding?”

“That’s right.” Donghyuck’s smile was brilliant. “It’s the event of the year, so I hope you cherish the very hard work I put into getting you this. I wrote a whole letter!”

Yukhei smiled, well aware that Donghyuck wrote to his cousin every day. He pressed the invitation against his chest. “Thank you.”

It touched his heart, that Donghyuck had thought of him. That he was invited. _We’re all going as a group._ It filled him with relief, that he was still considered a part of the group even after Jungwoo had rejected him.

“No problem.” Donghyuck hopped off the bed. “I’ll let you rest now, but I should probably forewarn you that Renjun took Chenle and Jisung to the kitchen because they wanted to bake you a get-better-soon cake and they will definitely come by later to show you. Between the two of us, you might want to avoid eating the cake if you don’t want to spend another day here.”

Yukhei chuckled, nodding. “I will.”

Donghyuck patted his shin, saluting before he slipped through the curtains.

Yukhei looked down at the card in his hands. 

_A wedding,_ he thought and smiled, ignoring the way his throat tightened. He did not allow himself to be jealous. It was neither Taeyong nor Johnny’s fault that they got to celebrate their love while Yukhei’s own heart was still in pieces inside his rib cage. He was not cruel enough to resent them for it.

On the contrary, he clung to the idea of the doctor who had given him so much being happy. There was nothing Yukhei wished for more and so he carefully placed the card on the bedside table. He pulled his blanket up to his chin, wrapped it as tightly around himself as it would go.

It was easy to let the exhaustion still sitting in his bones pull him under. He figured that even if his own heart was shattered, he still had the other within him to remind him he was alive. He was poisoned to the core and rejected, but he was alive.

He counted his blessings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise to any botany fans reading my fics. I know I make it really hard for you guys. I love you dearly. <3  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)


	13. Cordial Invitation

Yukhei didn't have many clothes to pack.

He had the bundle that Glory had dropped off for him earlier in the week, containing a fabric so fine that Yukhei hadn't yet dared to unravel it, but apart from the few casual robes the doctor had bought him, there was little Yukhei had that might be appropriate for a wedding. Then, he wasn’t even sure what exactly one brought to a wedding. He had never been to one. Did he need a gift? The thought made him nervously rub his chin as he looked down at the meagre pile of belongings that he had spread out on his bed.

There was nothing appropriate and he had neither money nor time to buy anything. It made him regret having put off packing for as long as he had. Not that that wasn’t his own fault. He had had an entire week to sort out his luggage, but the truth of the matter was that he had been avoiding the dormitory. He’d kept to the common room, staying as late as he could before he was forced to go to bed and even then, he had still been scared to enter the dormitory and find the curtains of Jungwoo's bed open, scared to find them drawn.

"You ready?"

Yukhei looked up at the sound of Jeno's voice, finding his friend standing by the door.

"Yes!” Yukhei hastily grabbed the bundle Doyoung had sent him and shoved that into his bag first before piling everything else on top.

Jeno moved further into the room. “Packing troubles? Don’t worry! I know Duckie has been hounding us for the past week to make sure no one’s forgetting anything, but if you do end up missing a sock, one of us can lend it to you.”

Yukhei nodded, feeling reassured even if that didn’t solve his original problem. “Do I need a gift?

Jeno shook his head, his smile gentle as he sat on the edge of Jungwoo's bed. The sight made Yukhei’s chest feel tight. Jeno sat on Jungwoo’s bed so casually. As if it was easy, getting this close. As if it was easy, bridging the distance between their beds.

“No.” He was startled out of his thoughts by the gravity in Jeno’s voice, in Jeno’s eyes when he said, "These people are immeasurably rich, Lucas. There is nothing precious you could buy that isn't already sitting in a chest somewhere in the basement of Seo Manor. Don’t worry about a gift.”

Jeno reached out to him and patted Yukhei on the knee. “What matters is that we're coming, that we cheer Johnny and Taeyong on and wish them a good life. That's more valuable than any present could ever be.”

Yukhei nodded, feeling reassured. Even if he had nothing of worth to his name, he _was_ able to cheer the couple on and Jeno was right. He knew neither Taeyong nor Johnny were the kind to care much about valuables. He thought about Donghyuck and how, despite all the silver adorning his ears and hands, it seemed to be the wooden chess piece dangling from his neck that he held dearest.

Yukhei placed the last of his clothes in the bag and closed it, slinging the leather strap over his shoulder. “I am ready.”

"Good.” Jeno brushed off his knees as he got up. “I didn't want to rush you, but I feel like Donghyuck might actually kill us if we're late.”

They left the Hufflepuff basement and Yukhei felt his nerves dissipate a bit when he saw the rest of their friends standing in a circle in the entrance hall. Jaemin waved them over, handing one of the bags he was carrying over to Jeno who slung it onto his own back.

“Okay,” Donghyuck clapped his hands together. “We’re finally complete! Everyone, follow me to Heechul’s office!”

He turned around and as they began to ascend the Grand Staircase, Yukhei noticed that Donghyuck wasn’t carrying a bag. The only thing Donghyuck was holding was Mark’s hand and it took Yukhei a moment to realise that Donghyuck didn’t need luggage. He was going home.

Sticking to the back of the group, Yukhei fell into step with Jisung and Chenle, finding solace in the happy chatter of Chenle’s voice. He willed himself not to let his attention waver from the moving steps beneath his feet. The pattern with which they decided to disappear was familiar enough to him by now that he could have made it to the top of the stairs blindly, but it was dangerous for him to look up.

It was too dangerous, the chance of him looking up and over to where Jungwoo was walking right behind Donghyuck and Mark, laughing at whatever Yangyang was saying beside him. Yukhei didn’t hold it against him, that Jungwoo seemed to have recovered from the break between them just fine. He would have never wished for Jungwoo to be unhappy just because Yukhei couldn’t move on.

When Chenle’s smaller hand slipped into his, he made an effort to show him a sincere smile. Even if it was killing him, he could pretend to be just as unaffected if it meant keeping the peace.

Chenle grinned at him, urging him to hurry. Yukhei did so, skipping up the last of the steps. He remembered the way to Headmaster Heechul’s office from his first day. That memory, too, made him yearn to be able to reach out for Jungwoo, reminisce together and maybe have Yukhei be the one to make Jungwoo laugh, but that was not what he was given.

He startled when Renjun suddenly turned around from where he was walking right in front of Yukhei. Jeno and Jaemin walking on either side of him seemed to startle just as much as Yukhei, the two of them watching as Renjun grabbed onto Yukhei’s arm and laid it around his shoulder.

Sliding his own arm around Yukhei’s waist, Renjun fell into step with him. “Have you ever used the floo network before?”

Yukhei nodded. That was how he had gotten here.

“Good! Then I’m sure you remember the basics. Can you repeat after me when I say ‘Seo Manor’?”

“Seo Manor.”

“Not quite. If you mispronounce it, you might get spewed out of the wrong chimney and who knows where you’ll end up. Try again.”

Yukhei furrowed his brows and willed his tongue to get the lateral right. “Seo Manor.”

“Better.”

Renjun made him repeat the two words until they had reached Heechul’s office. The gargoyle guarding it stepped aside when Donghyuck told it the correct password and Yukhei gritted his teeth as they ascended the narrow spiral staircase. The high steps caused his thigh muscles to scream in protest, but he made it to the top just like the rest of his friends, if he was the last of them.

“Right this way,” Headmaster Heechul greeted them at the door, the feathers in his hair fluttering as he led them through his office over to the big, lithic fireplace that Yukhei remembered from his arrival. “Place your luggage next to the mantle, I’m going to send it after you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Mark said.

“It’s no effort, Mr Lee. Who wants to go first?”

“That’s me.” Jeno perked up and dropped his bag besides the mantelpiece. He gratefully accepted the handful of green powder Headmaster Heechul offered him before stepping into the fireplace. The fire billowed as he threw his floo powder, swallowing him from sight as soon as he had uttered the name of his destination.

Chenle and Jisung clapped excitedly while Jaemin stepped forward next. After him, Yukhei watched Mark, the twins and Renjun go through until it seemed to be Jungwoo’s turn and he refused.

“No, I’ll go last.”

Yangyang groaned. “Oh, please! Just do it, will you? If he gets lost, there’s nothing you can do anyways and Duckie is just as capable of performing a tracker spell as you are. Now stop being a worrywart and get in the fireplace.”

“That’s not—” Jungwoo’s breath cut short with indignance and Yukhei felt it like a lightning strike when Jungwoo’s gaze flickered over to him, their eyes meeting for the first time in a week, before Jungwoo focussed back on Yangyang. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’m not a worrywart.”

Yangyang rolled his eyes. “You deal with this,” he directed at Donghyuck before stepping into the low flames. He grabbed floo powder from the pouch in Heechul’s hands, green fire billowing as he called out, “Seo Manor!” and disappeared.

“Lucas?” Yukhei was surprised by the gentleness to Donghyuck’s voice. “Would you like to go next?”

Yukhei didn’t want to go next. He didn’t want to leave when Jungwoo wasn’t looking at either of them, the tense set to his shoulders telling Yukhei that he was upset. Yukhei wanted to console him. As much as it would hurt him to do so, seeing Jungwoo unhappy hurt more.

But it was not his place.

Jungwoo didn’t want him.

He approached Headmaster Heechul, watching as the green powder trickled into his palm before he stepped into the fireplace, facing the room like Taeyong had taught him. 

He opened his fist and green fire enveloped him, heat licking at his skin and smoke tickling his nostrils, but he managed to utter the words Renjun had taught him. The last thing he saw before he was whisked up into the floo network was Donghyuck flicking Jungwoo’s forehead.

Lights passed by his eyes, too many to count and then it was over as quickly as it had begun, his feet hitting solid ground. His legs threatened to buckle upon impact, soot filling his lungs as he accidentally inhaled, but before he could panic, he was pulled out of the flames.

Light but firm slaps rained down on his back, helping Yukhei cough up the smoke he had inhaled.

“That’s it, boy, you’re doing just fine.”

Yukhei leaned into the familiar voice, rubbing his eyes before he squinted them open. He came face to face with Yuta’s brilliant smile, quickly turning his head away as to not cough into the older wizard’s face. Yuta continued to clap his back until Yukhei had coughed up the last of the soot in his mouth.

“Thank you,” Yukhei said, his eyes wandering to take in his new surroundings.

The sitting room they were in was spacious, easily as big as the Hufflepuff common room, but instead of copper-potted plants, the emerald walls were filled with paintings and trinkets and swords glinting in the firelight. In the centre of the room, heavy wooden furniture stood, though it had been momentarily pushed to the side to clear the way for the new arrivals. It was all so opulent that Yukhei felt hesitant to move, but then he saw Yangyang jump onto one of the couches to keep Chenle from reaching for one of the daggers on the walls and he felt a little better.

Next to them, Yukhei could see Sicheng use a damp cloth to rub soot off of the face of a whining Renjun while the rest of their friends stood by, snickering at Renjun’s misery. That was, until Sicheng let go off Renjun to threateningly raise his wash cloth, asking who wanted to go next.

Yukhei laughed as his friends scampered away to scatter on the rest of the couches, Renjun pulling Jaemin’s bigger frame on top of himself so that Sicheng couldn’t beckon him forward again. 

There was a satisfied glint in Sicheng’s eyes as he turned around and walked over to where Yuta had patted Yukhei’s robes into somewhat of a presentable state.

Sicheng held up the damp cloth in his hands with a smile. “Do you want me to clean you up a little?”

Yukhei nodded and basked in the attention both of the older wizards were giving him. Sicheng cleaned the soot from Yukhei’s cheeks and forehead and Yukhei obediently let Sicheng turn his head every which way to even get the dust behind his ears.

_“There you go, looking as handsome as ever. You can join the others.”_

Yukhei hurried to oblige, sitting down next to Jisung on one of the couches as the fireplace lit up green once more. Yukhei looked away when Jungwoo’s form became visible. He could hear Yuta and Sicheng fawn over him and dug his nails into his thighs, focussing on the slight pain instead of the deep ache in his heart.

It had been a week since he and Jungwoo had last spoken to each other and Yukhei didn’t know what was killing him more, the absence of Jungwoo’s mind or his touch. Jungwoo had always touched him so casually, grounding him in a way that even the earth couldn’t.

Jungwoo had been essential to him since the first day they had met and Yukhei had tried to approach him after the night in the greenhouse, willing to pretend his heart wasn’t broken so as to not lose Jungwoo completely, but there had been no mistaking the avoidance in Jungwoo’s eyes, the way he always seemed to leave the room shortly after Yukhei showed up.

Yukhei wondered whether Jungwoo truly hated him now or whether that was Jungwoo’s attempt at breaking his own charm. He wondered whether Jungwoo breaking the veela spell was supposed to feel this painful and with each day, Yukhei grew surer of the fact that he’d never been pulled in by Jungwoo’s charms at all. If Jungwoo’s veela magic had truly seeped into his body, poisoned his heart, then Yukhei was sure he had bled it out by now.

But his heart hadn’t changed.

He loved Jungwoo. Even now, even now when the few metres between them seemed unbridgeable, he loved Jungwoo with every aching beat of his broken heart and there wasn’t enough left of it to be charmed at all.

He wished he could have made Jungwoo see that, but Jungwoo wasn’t looking at him as he walked over to the sofa that Renjun and Jaemin shared, the sofa that was furthest away from the one of Yukhei and the twins.

The flames in the fireplace shot up once more and Donghyuck stepped through, brushing soot off of his shoulders before he jumped into Sicheng’s arms, placing a big kiss on the older’s cheek before he did the same to Yuta.

Mark got up and that prompted the rest of them to get up from their spots as well, even if Jaemin looked a little reluctant doing so where he was sprawled out on top of Renjun, eyes half-lidded while Renjun braided the longer strands on top of his head into little pig tails.

Having escaped Sicheng’s wash cloth, Donghyuck lost no time gathering them all together.

“All right,” Donghyuck waved the letter he had pulled out from the pocket of his robes, “because of the wedding, we’re almost maxed out on rooms so not everyone gets their own this time, but we’ll manage. Chenle, Jisung, you’re in your usual room. Mark, you’re with me.”

Jaemin wolf-whistled at that and Yukhei chuckled at the way Mark’s cheeks flushed.

“Jeno, Jaemin, you’re in Jeno’s old room. Please, Jaemin, try not to set fire to something again.”

This time, it was Jaemin’s turn to flush with embarrassment. Neither Jeno nor Renjun bothered to mask their laughter and Yukhei found himself chuckling along until his name was called.

“Lucas, you’ve never been here, so Yangyang will show you around. You’ll be rooming with him.”

Yukhei steadily kept his eyes trained on Donghyuck’s face as he nodded.

There was a big thump coming from the fireplace and Donghyuck turned his head with a grin. “Looks like our luggage is here. Okay, everyone, grab your bag and then go claim your rooms!”

*

Yangyang swept into their room, leaving the door open and heading straight towards the bed. He hit the mattress face-first and Yukhei couldn’t help but chuckle as he set down their luggage by the door.

“Man, this is the life.” Yangyang yelled as he rolled around on the double bed.

“Wanna live too.” Yukhei laughed as he approached the bed. “Make space for me?”

Yangyang’s eyes slid over Yukhei’s shoulder to the open door before, much to Yukhei’s surprise, he opened his arms wide and beckoned Yukhei closer with a sultry smile. “Come here, Lucas, I’ll cuddle with you.”

Yukhei was a bit taken aback by the proposition because usually Yangyang would punch him in the gut if Yukhei tried to hug him, but he shrugged it off when Yangyang’s lips pushed into a pout.

He opened the clasp holding his travelling cloak together and toed off his shoes before he joined Yangyang on the mattress, careful not to crush Yangyang under him when he rolled on top of the younger and let Yangyang dramatically throw his arms around him.

“Merlin, you’re heavy,” Yangyang grunted and Yukhei could feel laughter bubbling up in his throat.

He was about to roll off of Yangyang when there was the sharp rasp of knuckles against the frame of the open the door and the noise startled Yukhei enough for him to lose balance and crash down on Yangyang, causing Yangyang to cry out before Yukhei could get off of him and onto his back.

Yukhei felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Jungwoo standing in the door frame. His eyes seemed black as they roamed over Yukhei’s body, the veins around his eyes protruding grey as they settled on Yangyang. 

“Donghyuck said we should change because the Minister is making dinner.”

“Okay,” Yangyang sounded entirely unfazed as he sat upright, biting on his thumb as he smiled at Jungwoo. “We’ll see you downstairs.”

“Yangyang, can I talk to you for a moment?” Jungwoo’s gaze flickered over to Yukhei, but he never met his eyes. “Outside?”

Yangyang let out a sigh, but rolled off the bed. Yukhei hoped that Jungwoo would look at him once more before he left, but Jungwoo didn’t and so Yukhei was left alone. He stared at the fine carvings on the door for several long moments before he slowly pulled himself off the bed and got to unpacking.

There was little he could do against the taste of acid in his mouth.

*

The dining room was just as opulent as the rest of the house, a long table allowing for more than two dozen people to dine together and Yukhei found nearly all the seats occupied. There were a handful of people he didn’t recognise. For one, there was the middle-aged couple sitting beside Donghyuck. Their doting efforts towards Donghyuck and the nervous glimmer in Mark’s eyes told Yukhei that this had to be Donghyuck’s parents.

Next to them at the head end of the table stood a tall wizard with grey streaks in his hair. Yukhei recognised the Minister by how similar his stature and face were to that of his son, by the air of venerability that surrounded him even if he was surrounded by friends and family.

Yukhei tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as he passed by the Minister’s seat, but his efforts were wasted when Taeyong sitting only two chairs away called out his name.

Despite the nervousness he felt, he was eager to step into the arms Taeyong reached out for him.

“All right, Lucas?” Taeyong asked quietly into his ear.

Yukhei nodded into his shoulder.

“Taeyong,” Donghyuck whined from down the table. “Why do you like Lucas more than me? You’re always doting on him, when you’ve known me way longer. How many times have you even seen him? Once?”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a brat,” Ten commented from where he was sitting in between Kun and Jungwoo. He blew Donghyuck a kiss when Donghyuck glared at him.

Yangyang next to Jungwoo using the opportunity to lean over and steal the meat from Ten’s plate. He was caught by Kun, quickly letting it fall back onto Ten’s plate when Kun raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

Yukhei let himself be pulled onto the empty chair next to Taeyong. He was pretty sure that his seat was Johnny’s, who had disappeared into the kitchen just when Yukhei had entered the room, but there was little he could do against the doctor’s will.

He did his best to smile as Taeyong began to heap his plate with food. He made an effort to answer Taeyong’s questions to the best of his ability. They were mundane, inquiries about his classes, his grades, his well-being, but Yukhei could read between the lines.

“I’m fine,” he said earnestly. He figured that it wasn’t lying if he was only referring to how he had recovered from his last transformation.

“Good.” Taeyong’s eyes softened. “I had hoped so.”

At the light, guilty quiver to his voice, Taeyong’s hand was taken and Yukhei realised that there was someone else at the table he didn’t know. She was easy to overlook, her petite stature and frail disposition leaving her grey in comparison to the abundance of colourful, boisterous people around her. Nonetheless, her gaze was strong as she met Yukhei’s eyes, her grip firm when she offered Yukhei her hand.

“Hello,” her voice was lovely and the intonation all too familiar. “I’m Taeyoung.”

“Mum,” Taeyong perked up. “This is Lucas. A pati—a friend of Donghyuck’s. He goes to school with the others.”

Taeyoung’s lips quirked into a smile and Yukhei thought that if her sickness hadn’t left her looking so ghostly, she would’ve looked just as stunning as her son. “It’s lovely to meet you, Lucas.”

Yukhei bowed his head. “You too, Ma’am.”

Taeyoung pulled her hand from Yukhei’s to cover her mouth as she coughed, which caused Taeyong to immediately fuss over her. Yukhei respectfully averted his eyes to his plate, his mouth watering at the feast in front of him.

He ate until he couldn’t anymore, tuning into the conversation Jeno and Jaemin were having with Jaehyun across from him. After dinner, Yukhei found himself wobbling out of the dining room after Yangyang and Renjun, his eyelids drooping with how heavy his belly was.

They passed through the entrance hall where Johnny was standing, pressing kiss after kiss to Taeyong’s lips before Jaehyun and Ten could drag him out the open door and into the night.

“Bye, Yongs, I’ll promise we’ll bring him back in one piece!” Ten waved before all three wizards disapparated. 

“You better,” Taeyong called after them, looking forlorn for a moment before he was flanked by Yuta and Doyoung, who were wearing twin grins.

Taeyong whined when they grabbed to each of his arms. “I said no.”

“Yes, we heard you,” Yuta waved him off, “but you’re getting married tomorrow, Yongie, and if you want to stay up all night and fuss over whether you’ve chosen the right shade of lavender for the table decorations, you might as well join us for a drink to celebrate your last night of freedom.”

“I assure you that what I’ve planned is much more fun than whatever Jaehyun has planned for Johnny.” Doyoung puffed out his chest.

Taeyong sighed, giving into his fate.

Yuta cheered and pressed a resounding kiss to his cheek before he dragged Taeyong off in the direction of the salon. Through the open door, Yukhei could see Taeil and Kun sharing a drink on one of the sofas while Sicheng was stoking the fire.

Doyoung lingered in front of the stairs for a moment, his smile becoming considerably more stern. “That’s right, tikes, keep walking. You’re going to bed, so you’re all ready to get up early tomorrow.”

“Aye, captain!” Jaemin cheered readily.

Yangyang whined a quiet “no fair!” under his breath, but he kept trudging up the stairs just as obediently as the rest of them. Yukhei figured that the same thing that made him walk with his back a little straighter, his clothes a little neater within the walls of Seo Manor was influencing Yangyang as well.

Yukhei didn’t mind their earlier curfew. In truth, he was looking forward to falling into bed and not moving for the next ten hours. He hadn’t slept very well during the past week, kept awake by the heartache in his chest, the lingering physical ache in his limbs and there was little he wanted to do more in that moment than to crawl into bed and sleep.

He opened the door to his and Yangyang’s room, smiling when Jeno patted him on the back as he walked past, Chenle sneaking a hug before he ran after Jisung. Yangyang was at the top of the stairs talking to Jungwoo and Donghyuck so Yukhei figured he’d use the opportunity to use their en-suite bathroom first.

He brushed his teeth and changed into his pyjamas, flicking off the lights on his way over to the bed. He slipped under the covers, careful to leave half of the mattress for Yangyang to claim before he pulled the duvet up to his chin.

He had nearly dozed off when the door opened. Yukhei didn’t pry his eyes open until there was a heavy thump and the low mutter of a course. Scared that Yangyang might’ve hurt himself, he sat up, rubbing his eyes to see something in the low moonlight falling in through the window.

His heart skipped a beat when he caught a glimmer of silver. Blindly, he grabbed his wand from the night stand. Before he could cast the illumination spell, the mattress dipped and then he didn’t need it anymore.

“Woo?”

Jungwoo’s smile was tired as he met Yukhei’s eyes in the dark. “Hey, Lucas.”

Yukhei blinked once, twice, but Jungwoo remained sitting on the edge of his bed. He searched the area behind Jungwoo, the space by the door, but they were alone. “Where is Yangyang?”

“He’s sharing with Renjun for the night.” Jungwoo looked down and Yukhei’s eyes widened as Jungwoo began to unlace his boots. “I asked him to switch with me.”

Yukhei’s heart seized painfully in his chest. His mouth was dry when he spoke and he almost didn’t dare to, but he needed to ask. He needed to know. “Why did you do that?”

Jungwoo’s fingers stilled before they resumed their task. “It’s comfortable like this, no?” Jungwoo’s smile was brittle in its light-heartedness. “It’s what we’re used to.”

“Jungwoo.” His tongue stuck to his teeth, the words he wanted to say burning in his throat. _I love you. I love you. Please, let me love you._ He didn’t dare utter them. He couldn’t have borne it if they had made Jungwoo leave him again.

So instead, he scooted over as much as he could without falling from the bed and flipped the duvet on Jungwoo’s side so Jungwoo would have an easier time sliding under the covers. Jungwoo smiled at him, earnestly and heart-breaking and Yukhei squeezed his eyes shut when Jungwoo got up to shed the rest of his dinner ensemble and change into pyjamas.

He was torturing himself enough already.

Despite the shock Jungwoo’s appearance had brought to his system, Yukhei still felt exhaustion tugging on his body and mind and he tapped into that feeling as he sunk deeper under his covers, willing sleep to take him before he could experience what it was like to share a bed with Jungwoo, no floor and curtains between them.

He was half-asleep by the time the mattress dipped once more and, in retrospect he thought that it might have been a dream, the feather light touch of a hand against his duvet-covered back and Jungwoo’s low voice pulling him deeper into the darkness.

“Thank you for not hating me.”

*

Yukhei could tell by how quiet the entire manor was that it was no later than four or five in the morning when he entered the kitchen. He found it empty of people, though every inch of available counter space seemed to be filled with flowers and wax-sealed goody bags and food that had to be prepared overnight.

Yukhei was careful not to bump into anything as he made his way over to the fruit bowl in the corner. He figured that no one would notice him taking an handful of plums for himself and he was hopeful that the fruit would be enough to gnawing hunger lining of his stomach. Despite the feast he had been a part of the night before, the other was never sated.

He successfully made it to the other side of the kitchen without incident, his fingers curling around the plums he had set his sights on, but he stopped short when he looked out of the kitchen window and found that he was not the only one awake.

There, in front of the monolith that stood in the garden of Seo Manor, towering and untouched by the nature surrounding it, a lone figure was kneeling with their forehead pressed to the ground.

“I see I’m not the only one up early.”

Yukhei startled, the plums tumbling from his hands as he whirled around to find the doctor standing in the doorway.

“Sorry!” he yelped and then apologised again when he realised that the plums hadn’t survived their fall. They had burst upon impact, thick juice slowly seeping into the stone floor. “I wasn’t—” Yukhei’s brows furrowed as he took in the sight of the doctor in pyjamas and a robe, his hair messily sticking up. “I woke you?”

He had tried to be quiet walking through the house, but it must not have been enough.

“Oh, no. You didn’t wake me.” Taeyong corrected Yukhei's mistake with a flick of his wand, the remnants of the plums sorting themselves into the trash can by the door. “I just didn’t sleep.” Taeyong smiled as turned towards the kettle on the stove. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

Slowly, Yukhei nodded. “Why did you not sleep?” He only figured that it was a dumb question after he had asked it. “Wedding? Are you nervous?”

Taeyong laughed as he conjured water to fill the kettle. “I'm excited, mostly. Also scared. Also nervous in a sense, you’re right.” He sighed as he put the stove on. “It’s a big day.”

“I wish you a happy day.”

Taeyong’s eyes shone bright as they met Yukhei’s and Yukhei felt a little part of his heart mend. At least in this moment, with the doctor, he had said the right words.

“Thank you, Lucas.”

While the water in the kettle heated, Taeyong joined him by the window. The doctor’s expression softened as he saw what Yukhei had seen.

“Was he already there when you came in?”

Yukhei nodded.

Taeyong hummed and moved back to the stove, the kettle whistling as if it had waited for Taeyong to come back. Yukhei watched Taeyong prepare three cups of tea before the doctor returned to his side, handing him one.

“I made yours special. You can take this up to your room with you. Drink it all and it will give you another couple of hours of rest.”

Yukhei blinked, watched the tea swirl inside his cup. There was a flower sitting at the bottom of the cup, its white petals blooming in the hot water.

“Thank you.”

The doctor’s hand was warm against his cheek. “You’re welcome, Lucas. Now, back to bed with you. Healer’s orders!”

Yukhei smiled and bowed his head, watching as Taeyong took the two remaining cups and left through the side door. Despite Taeyong’s instruction, he remained at the window for a moment longer and watched as Taeyong crossed the garden over to where Johnny was still kneeling, his pyjamas and fluffy bath robe forming a stark contrast to the heavy, elaborate robes Johnny was wearing.

Taeyong set the two cups down on the grass before he skipped the last couple of meters and threw himself on top Johnny from behind, folding himself over his back like a blanket and clinging to him like a monkey when Johnny tried to shake him off. Yukhei couldn’t see Johnny’s face but he could see the way his body relaxed when Taeyong began to sway them from side to side.

He could almost hear the doctor’s laughter when Johnny eventually did manage to pry him off his back and splay him to the ground, Taeyong looking breathless and happy when Johnny covered his body with his own.

Yukhei averted his gaze then, not wanting to intrude on their private moment any longer. He emptied his cup in the kitchen before he set it down in the sink and made his way out into the hall. Despite the knowledge that Jungwoo was still sleeping in the bed they shared, impossibly close and yet unreachable, Yukhei’s heart didn’t hurt as he ascended the stairs.

It wasn’t his day, and so he decided to cling to the happiness he still found within himself. He had to be joyous. Today would be a wedding, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us bear witness.  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
>   
> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	14. The Wedding (I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *puts on wedding music* Time to make my pseud a reality, hehe.

“You’re not gonna faint, Johnnyboy, are you?”

Johnny smiled as he pried his gaze away from the entrance of the wedding tent. “I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m sure you will catch me if I fall.”

Deep dimples dug into Jaehyun’s cheeks as he stepped up next to Johnny. Together, they watched the bustle inside the tent. The guests were still in the progress of sorting themselves into the benches along the aisle, directed by Johnny’s father, and the wedding staff were running around making last minute adjustments. Fairy lights were strung up all across the ceiling, enchanted snow falling from the fabric sky and fizzling out a metre above everyone’s heads.

It was beautiful and Johnny was content because he had wanted beautiful for Taeyong, who had spent too many nights agonising over the exact shade of lavender they wanted for the carpet that covered the wooden floorboards of the aisle, the type of flower they wanted to rank around the wedding arch.

“How is he?” 

“Doyoung and Taeil are taking care of him. He looks beautiful. You have good taste.”

Johnny smiled before he turned away from the entrance of the tent, Jaehyun easily falling into step with him. They made their way back to the house. Johnny would have to take his place under the arch soon, but there was a little time left yet and Johnny would use it wisely.

The kitchen was brimming with people, steam filling the air and Johnny hurried to pass through before any of the rich smells could cling to his wedding robes. He was pretty sure that Yeri and Lisa would kill him if he managed to stain his robes before they had served their purpose.

The foyer was quieter, comfortably cool and Johnny slowed his step, letting Jaehyun take the lead as they descended the stairs into the first of the cellars. Seo Manor had three of them and Johnny chuckled at the idea that Ten had brought the poor children into the sealed dungeon on the lowest level.

As it was, he found Kun and Ten waiting for him in front of the door that lead to the storage cellar. Kun was studying the crested, silver torch holders next to the door with interest while Ten was studying him. The both of them looked up when they heard Johnny and Jaehyun approach.

Johnny glances at his wrist watch, making sure that he still had sufficient time. “How long have they been in there?”

“No more than five minutes.” Ten grinned. “We didn’t want anyone to wet themselves.”

Johnny nodded, closing his fingers around the silver doorknob. He stretched his jaw before he threw the door open and went in. The tikes were sitting in a circle on the ground, but scrambled to their feet when the door opened. Johnny suppressed a smile. While he could tell in the eyes of Donghyuck, Chenle and Jisung that they knew what was coming, some of the kids looked downright terrified.

He would have to make sure to apologise to Taeyong for scaring his pet project that much. Lucas looked a little pale where he was standing between Jeno and Jaemin.

Johnny waited until Kun had closed the door behind them before he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“All right,” he said, looking every single one of the younger boys in the eye. “As you all know, today is my wedding day. A day that I’ve been looking forward to for roughly seven years, a day that my wonderful fiancé has been agonising over for the past couple of months in order for it to go down without a hitch. And it will.”

He could see realisation dawn on some of the tikes’ faces.

“Not a single thing will go wrong, or happen out of order.  _ Nothing,” _ Johnny emphasised. “No pranks No shenanigans. Not a single misplaced cheering spell where it doesn’t belong.”

He met eyes with Yangyang, who was so very fond of fireworks.

Yangyang held his gaze bravely until Kun called his name and then he lowered his eyes, looking a little red in the face. Donghyuck laid a hand on his shoulder before he looked at Johnny.

“I swear, Cousin, we weren’t even planning anything!”

Johnny shot him an unimpressed look. He stepped forward until he was only an arm’s length away from his cousin.

“Right.” Expectantly, he held out his hand. “Cough it up, Hyuck.”

Donghyuck pushed out his bottom lip, looked up at Johnny with innocent eyes, but when Johnny only held his gaze, he sighed and leaned down to pull a sleek, flattened carton out of the side of his boot.

“It’s not fair!” he protested. “We wouldn’t have done it during the ceremony! It was supposed to be just a little something to get the people off their seats when it’s dancing time!”

“Sure,” Jaehyun snorted from Johnny’s right.

Ten snatched the package out of Johnny’s hands and Johnny couldn’t help the hint of amusement he felt at the admiration in Ten’s eyes as he inspected the package. “Oh, this would have gotten them off their seats for sure. Where did you even get this?”

“Nowhere,” Chenle squeaked, looking a little red in the face. 

Johnny took the package from Ten’s hands and handed it over to Jaehyun, who was a lot less likely to lose it to quick tike hands and innocently sparkling eyes.

“Any other contraband or confessions?”

He looked every single one of the kids in the eye, but found nothing but—well played, at least—innocence staring back at him. And in Lucas’ case, mildly terrified confusion. Johnny let the kids stew in their own possible guilty consciences for a moment longer before he stepped aside. Pulling his wand, he waved the door open.

“You’re free to go, then.”

The tikes scurried past him one by one, their heads ducked or in Chenle’s case, raised to shoot him a bright smile. Johnny couldn’t help the slight chuckle that escaped him as soon as they were gone, Ten giggling.

“Wow.” Kun lightly shook his head as he looked at Johnny. “I never used to believe it when Doyoung and Yuta were raging about you, but did anyone ever tell you that you can be really terrifying if you want to?”

Johnny grinned. “Only on my wedding day.”

“Speaking of which…” Jaehyun moved to hold the door open for them. “We should get going. Can’t have you be late to your own wedding.”

“I promise we’re nice now,” Ten whispered into Kun’s ear, smile so sweet that Johnny could see Kun fall victim to it as Ten snaked his arm around Kun’s waist and lead them out the door.

They left the cellar, the kitchen much emptier than it had been before as they passed through the second time and Johnny felt a flutter inside his chest at the thought of what was waiting for him outside. He allowed the feeling to carry him towards the wedding tent.

The guests were all seated by now, the band playing a soft violin tune as the guest chattered, anticipation heavy in the air. Johnny remained by the entrance as Jaehyun, Ten and Kun disappeared inside. Shortly after, his father came out.

The Minister looked even more venerable than usual in his festive robes and Johnny smiled when his father embraced him tightly.

“I’m so proud of you, Son.” There were tears glistening in the Minister’s eyes as he pulled away and simultaneously, they looked out onto the garden where his mother’s monolith stood. “Your mother, too. She must be so overjoyed watching us right now.”

Johnny swallowed past the burning in his own eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

His father stepped aside to free the way into the tent. “You ready?”

“Yes,” Johnny said earnestly, giving in to the flutter in his chest.

Taeyong had been his for nearly half a decade by now. There was nothing but anticipation thrumming in Johnny’s blood as he entered the tent behind his father, the music changing to a richer tune to announce their entry.

The wedding guests rose and Johnny walked up the aisle slowly. He wanted to commit all of it to memory, the music and people and the perfect shade of lavender Taeyong had chosen for the carpet. He was the first to come in, so there were only his groomsmen waiting for him beside the wedding arch, Jaehyun and Ten’s matching grins making his lips twitch.

Jaehyun had been sulking the entire week leading up to the wedding after he had lost his officiant’s rights in a game of chocolate frog cards to Sicheng, but Johnny was happy to see that his best friend had gotten over it. Sicheng, in his officiant’s spot, looked quietly pleased.

Johnny took his place below the arch and smiled at Doyoung and Taeil opposite of him. Doyoung inclined his head, a small smile playing on his lips as they both turned their heads towards the entrance.

The music rose once more and Johnny felt his heart skip a beat before it slowed, the music and excited whispers of the crowd falling away as he laid eyes on Taeyong.

Taeyong looked ethereal in his white and golden robes, his freshly black hair glistening like the night sky with all the yellow diamonds Sehun had put into it. Johnny thought that he had never seen a more beautiful sight.

“Good choice, brother,” Jaehyun commented under his breath and Johnny smiled.

Taeyong’s pace was slow to match his mother’s weaker steps, their heads falling together as she leaned upwards to whisper into his ear. Once they were close enough to the end of the aisle, Taeyong turned and took her hands into his. She kissed his forehead while Taeyong buried his face in her knuckles and Johnny swallowed when she turned her head and their eyes met. 

There was a fire burning in her eyes that was stronger than her frail body let on and Johnny nodded minutely, a silent promise to fulfil what she was asking of him.

He would do what she couldn’t anymore. He would protect Taeyong with his life.

Johnny could read the words on her lips as she told Taeyong to go to him, his heart skipping a beat. 

The moment Taeyong let go of his mother, Yuta jumped up from his seat in the first row and took Taeyong’s place for him, offering his arm for Taeyoung to hold onto as he helped her to her seat. Yuta’s smile was so radiant it easily overplayed the tremor to Taeyoung’s body as she sat down and sitting in between Kun and Yuta, Johnny knew that she would be well taken care of.

Taeyong was left standing alone in the aisle, his movements slow as he turned to face the wedding arch. 

Johnny held out his hand. 

He revelled in the way the fear in Taeyong’s eyes faded as he took it. Faintly, Johnny registered that Sicheng began his officiant’s speech, causing the crowd to fall quiet and the music to fade into a slow, soft tune, but it was hard to focus on anything else when Taeyong was finally in front of him. Their fingers slid easily together and Johnny’s heart ached with how in love he was.

He could see his love mirrored in Taeyong’s eyes, in the giddy edge to his smile and Johnny couldn’t help himself. He raised their intertwined hands to press a quick kiss against Taeyong’s knuckles. Taeyong pressed his lips together to contain a giggle, happiness shining bright in his eyes and Johnny didn’t manage to look away until he felt Jaehyun’s hand against his back, causing him to avert his eyes over to Sicheng.

“Johnny.” The amusement in Sicheng’s tone was telling Johnny that it wasn’t the first time he had said his name. “It is time for your vows. Please, speak them now.”

Johnny pulled his hands out of Taeyong’s grasp to accept the ring Jaehyun was holding out for him. He held it in his palm while cupping Taeyong’s cheek with the other hand and where his heart had been thundering in his chest, it slowed, slowed as the world shrunk once more and there was nothing left except for himself and the boy he had loved since he had been fifteen years old.

“Taeyong,” his voice came out raspier than he intended and he cleared his throat, smiled past the burn in his eyes, “my love, you look beautiful today.”

Tears welled up in Taeyong’s eyes despite the fact that Taeyong had sworn he wasn’t going to cry. Johnny’s smile widened. 

"This is the part where I tell you how much I love you, and while I hope that you already know, I'm very happy to do it again.”

He could see Doyoung behind Taeyong’s shoulder roll his eyes, but Johnny didn’t mind. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered except for the way Taeyong bloomed under his words like the winter roses over their heads.

“You are the love of my life, Taeyong, my choice and my wonder and I want to promise you, I promise you that I will work every day to be someone that you are proud to call your husband. My commitment to you is everlasting, immutable.”

The words came easily over his lips and while Johnny had rehearsed them a thousand times over in his head, he had never felt them more sincerely than in this moment.

“My heart and my life and my name, they're all yours now, Taeyong, and I can't tell you how much I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Thank you for choosing me the way I chose you.”

He slipped the simple, silver band in his hand onto Taeyong’s finger, allowed himself a moment to admire the way it looked against Taeyong’s skin before he looked up again. 

“Thank you for being here. Thank you for being home. I love you. Now and forever, I love you.”

Johnny leaned down, met Taeyong’s lips in a deep, salty kiss before he pulled away with a cheeky smile. He wiped the wet traces from Taeyong’s cheek, whispering, “We said no crying today, didn’t we?”

Taeyong only shook his head, a wet sob escaping him as he tried to pull himself together and Johnny held his hands tightly. He would have waited an eternity for Taeyong to say his words. Eventually, Taeyong had calmed down enough and he took the ring Doyoung offered him.

“Hi, Johnny,” he whispered as he looked back up, his smile so tender that Johnny felt himself melt right into it. “There’s a thousand things I want to tell you, but I doubt everyone else would want to sit here that long, so I’ll try to tell you what’s most important.”

Johnny heard the collective chuckle of the crowd, could see Taeil smile behind Doyoung’s shoulder.

Taeyong wiped his own eyes before he met Johnny’s once more. “Thank you, Johnny, thank you for being my first and last thought of the day. Thank you for being the first and last love of my life and for choosing me in the way only you could have done. I know I didn’t always make it easy for you to stay by my side, but you've never given up on me and that's what I want to promise you too."

He took Johnny’s hands and raised them to his mouth, pressed his promises into Johnny’s knuckles. "My lovely Johnny, my one and only, you've held my heart since I was fifteen and it's never beaten stronger than it does now, so filled to the brim with the love you give me. I feel so warm when I’m with you. You once promised me everything and I can see it, I see that you make good on that promise every day. I love you.”

Johnny felt his own eyes fill with tears when Taeyong gave his own words back to him.

“Now and forever, I love you.”

The slide of the silver was cool against his ring finger and Johnny lost himself in the press of Taeyong’s lips against his own. He could feel Jaehyun and Ten clap him on the back, could hear the thunderous applause of the wedding guests as Sicheng pronounced them married and the tikes’ excited shouting. It was all drowned out by the thundering of his own heart. 

“I love you, Johnny Seo.” Taeyong reached up to frame his face, kiss him once more.

With the petals of the arch falling to shower them with good fortune, Johnny lost no time to slide his arms around Taeyong’s waist, pulling them together so that nothing may ever be able to separate them again. 

“As I love you, Taeyong Seo. Now and forever.” 

*

Jeno thought that if he ever became rich, he’d want to have a wedding like the Seos, if only for the way Taeyong and Johnny looked so blissfully oblivious to their surroundings as they swayed in each other’s arms. The dance floor was filled by other dancing couples, Donghyuck and a hilariously red-faced Mark among them, but nothing seemed to be able to touch the newlyweds and Jeno wondered what it felt like, to be so happy you became untouchable. 

“Do you think Renjun will dance with me if I ask?”

Jeno looked over to where Renjun was sitting with Jungwoo, Yangyang and Lucas at Ten’s table, listening intently to the story Ten was telling. Judging by the rather wild movements of Ten’s arms and the way Kun’s arms tightened around his waist whenever Ten threatened to slide off of his lap, the free-flowing scornberry wine had begun to take its effect on Ten. Jeno had seen him gulp down his goblet right before his best man speech. 

“I think you should have another slice of cake.”

When Jeno turned his head, he found Jaemin squinting at him, but the grin on his best friend’s lips was as unwavering as it always was. Jaemin raised his fork to point it at Jeno’s chest. “I know what you’re doing, Nono, and I need you to stop worrying. You know I stick to my promises. Nothing but cake for me.”

As if to prove his point, Jaemin stabbed another piece with his fork and popped it into his mouth.

Jeno smiled, as if it was that easy. “Of course. I trust you, Jaemin.”

Chewing, Jaemin pinched his cheek before he rose from his chair. “All right, I’m gonna go and try my luck. How do I look?”

“Good.”

Jaemin did. He always looked good, whether he was wearing rags or the expensive festive robes Jaehyun had bought for him. Jaemin was radiant in his own way, shining through any dirt that might have covered him.

He was shining now as he patted Jeno’s shoulder and then he was off, approaching Ten’s table with long, confident strides. Jeno picked up the napkin from next to his plate and folded it in half, dragged his nail along the fold. He didn’t manage to look away from where Jaemin walked up to Renjun’s chair.

Jaemin slid his arm across Renjun’s chest from behind, stealing a kiss to his cheek before he moved his lips to Renjun’s ear, undoubtedly asking for a dance as he gestured his hand in the direction of the dance floor. His smile stayed bright even as Renjun slapped his jaw for his insolence, shrugged off his arm and for a moment, Jeno had hope.

His fingers stilled where he had been slowly picking his napkin apart. The tissue fabric ripped in half when Renjun rose from his chair, grabbed onto the hand Jaemin was holding out for him and they walked towards the dance floor together.

“Have all your friends left you alone?”

Jeno startled as the empty chair Jaemin had left was filled. He looked down, staring in shame at the mess he had made.

“It’s fine.” He cleared his throat, willed the burning of his cheeks to subside. He plastered a smile onto his face before he dared to look up. “They’re just dancing.”

He could see in Doyoung’s eyes that his mentor was seeing through him, but Jeno couldn’t share what was on his mind. He knew that Doyoung would have refuted him if he had tried to tell him about how selfish he was, how greedy and that he was not as good of a person as everyone else always told him he was.

Doyoung would have tried to console him and that was not what Jeno deserved. 

Not when he had wanted for Renjun to say no.

Doyoung placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Whatever it is that makes you sit here on your own, it will work out, Jeno.”

“How do you know that?” Jeno hated how desperate he sounded, how easily he gave in to being honest when he could never bring himself to be so in front of the people that deserved it the most from him.

Doyoung smiled at him. “Because your heart is much purer than mine, darling boy, and if things worked out for me, they will definitely work out for you.”

Jeno looked over to the dancefloor where Jaehyun was now waltzing with Taeyong while Johnny danced with Taeyong’s mother. Yuta and Sicheng were drawing circles around them to keep anyone else from getting too close and accidentally bumping into her. Jaehyun seemed to sense Jeno’s gaze or maybe he just never was unaware of where Doyoung was in a room, but he looked over in that moment, his expression softening as he laid eyes on Doyoung.

Jeno thought about how he had met Doyoung, this sick, shaking senior vomiting his heart out in the infirmary while Jeno held his bucket for him. Doyoung was how Jeno had learned about the wounds that needed more than a quick  _ Episkey _ spell to heal, invisible to the eye and deeply ingrained as they were. His own problems were laughable in comparison to what his mentor had gone through, but Jeno knew that Doyoung would have scolded him for thinking so, too.

“I just—” His throat closed up. He couldn’t say it. That was the very root of his problem. In between his promise to keep a secret and his own cowardice, Jeno was left tongue-tied. “I just wish I could be braver sometimes. Like you. Like a Gryffindor.”

“I’m brave because my friends made me so, Jeno.” Jeno was surprised by the amusement in Doyoung’s voice. There was no pain in Doyoung’s eyes, only triumph and the adoration that he always reserved especially for Jeno among the tikes. “I think you might want to talk to yours. I’m sure any of them will listen to what you have to say to them, and if they’re mean to you, get back to me and I will scold them for you.”

Jeno laughed, if only he knew that Doyoung wasn’t lying. “I should.” He wouldn’t,  _ couldn’t, _ but the thought that he might one day be able to get over himself was a nice one.

“Good, then I shall get going. I promised Yuta I’d dance with him before everyone is too drunk or sleepy to pay attention to our amazing waltz.”

Jeno nodded, feeling a little lighter as Doyoung ruffled his hair before he left. It was comforting, the thought that whatever he did, Doyoung still believed in him. He chanced another glance at the dance floor, found Renjun and Jaemin dancing amongst the crowd and got up.

He was selfish and greedy and wanting for what he shouldn’t, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t have fun. It was a wedding after all and with everyone around him being happy, he could be happy too. He loved his friends enough to do better for them.

Jaemin grinned when he saw Jeno approach, lifting one arm from Renjun’s waist to wave him closer and Jeno went willingly. Renjun turned around to see who Jaemin was calling for, his expression lighting up when he spotted Jeno.

_ I’m brave because my friends made me so. _

Jeno let himself be pulled in, Renjun’s arms sliding around his waist while Jaemin covered his back and Jeno laughed, at Jaemin’s excited chatter against his ear and Renjun’s overjoyed laughter in his face. 

He was happy because his friends made him so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now and forever.  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
>   
> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	15. The Wedding (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long since the last update, but I'm happy to say I finished my finals well and to make up for it this chapter is extra long. /sweet sigh/ She's a big girl! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> #HAPPYMARKLEEDAY

Yukhei could fit five cream puffs into his mouth. His cheeks were bulging, his jaw hurting from the strain, but that didn’t stop him from trying to fit a sixth one in. Mark held his gaze, frowning as he picked up a cream puff from the plate between them and wedged it into his own mouth. 

“Seven,” Mark wretched out past the mass of dough and cream in his mouth and Yukhei furrowed his brows. 

With a roiling stomach, he picked up another pastry from the plate, willing it to shrink under his glare. 

“Don’t do it, Lucas,” Donghyuck lilted from beside Mark, the twinkle in his eyes telling Yukhei the very opposite of his words. 

Yukhei huffed, and with a groan added the cream puff to the glob in his mouth.

“Disgusting,” Yangyang commented from beside him at the same time as Chenle chirped, “Don’t throw up, Lucas!” 

Yukhei grimaced at him, covering his mouth with his hand as he attempted to chew.

Mark looked positively green as he picked up his eighth cream puff, his nose scrunching with disgust. Nonetheless, he held Yukhei’s gaze as he held it against his lips and slowly pushed it past. A second later, he gagged and Yukhei nearly fell backwards out of his chair in his attempt to not get hit by flying pieces of spit-soaked dough. The laughter bubbling up in his chest caused him to gag as well and he was only saved from choking by Yangyang hitting his back repeatedly.

Yukhei clasped his hands over his mouth, wheezing and struggling to chew before he slid off his chair to join Mark where he had crumbled to the ground, half-retching and half-laughing up to the point where there were tears in his eyes. Mark grappled onto his arms and they held onto each other as they tried not to choke on their giggles and the abundance of spit-soaked pastry still in their mouths.

Yukhei’s jaw hurt with the effort to chew but eventually he had chowed down on the cream puff amalgamation enough to be able to push it into one cheek, breathing past.

Mark seemed to have achieved the same, retching out a breathless, “Dude!”

“Won!” Yukhei grinned, swallowing to show his tongue.

“What?” Mark hit his arm. “No, you didn’t!”

Yukhei frowned, wanting to protest that indeed he had won because Mark had collapsed first, when a shadow fell over them both.

“I see you’ve been enjoying the dessert table.”

Yukhei gulped as he looked up the find Yuta staring down at them. The older wizard had his arms crossed in front of his chest, but there was amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Yuta!” Jisung squeaked. “We—uh—we haven’t been drinking!”

Yuta raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”

Donghyuck cleared his throat. “Why did you come here, Yuta?” 

“Not to take that flask of punch away from you, kid, don’t worry.” Yuta’s smile was dazzling as he pulled both Yukhei and Mark up by the collar of their robes. “This one you can have,” he pushed Mark to sit on the chair next to Donghyuck while he held onto Yukhei, “and this one I’m gonna have to borrow for a bit.”

Yukhei found himself being pulled away from the table.

“Hey!” Yangyang called after them. “Where are you taking him?”

“Doyoung wants to talk to him about some sponsor things!” Yuta threw over his shoulder. “See you later! Don’t blow anything up while we’re gone!”

Yukhei bit the inside of his cheek as Yuta lead him through the sea of tables towards the exit of the wedding tent, willing the erratic beating of his heart to slow. His mind was buzzing with worried thoughts.

Had he done something wrong? Did Doyoung want to withdraw his sponsorship?

It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Hogwarts fed him and if he was careful with it, he’d be able to wear the clothes he had now until graduation, but his heart ached at the thought that he’d lost the favour he’d been given, that he’d torn a hole into his already bare-thread safety net.

“Relax, kiddo.” Yuta patted his arm as they stepped out into the night. “You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

Yukhei nervously bit his lip. “Doyoung is upset with me?”

Yuta’s brows ticked downwards with confusion before his expression brightened again. “Oh, no, don’t worry! I’m not actually taking you to see Doyoung. He isn’t even out here. Doie and Jaehyun went to bed like half an hour ago.”

Yukhei frowned. “But you said—”

Yuta smiled at him in the easy, freely given way he did, but there was gentleness in his eyes. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since Johnny told me about you. I talked to Taeyong too, and he agreed that it might help. I want you to meet someone.”

Yukhei felt nervous for a different reason. He looked down at himself, glad that despite his earlier spluttering, his festive robes were without stains and sat well on his frame. He let Yuta lead him along the side of the tent, across the grass until they were approaching a small circle of wizards and witches, smoke wafting up from where they were smoking pipes glowing with green fire.

Yukhei was taller than Yuta and half of the wizards standing in the circle, but he still felt small as he tried to hide as much of himself behind Yuta’s back as he could. He wasn’t naturally afraid of people, but the wizards and witches in the circle all looked to be at least twice as old as him and he could see the Minister among them.

“Pa!” Yuta called out and one of the wizards turned around, along with the witch right next to him.

Their robes were made from the same deep red fabric as Yuta’s, if they had none of the heavy golden detailing that Yuta’s robes were endowed with. Yuta was quick to fall into the arms they reached out for him, laughter spilling over his lips as he kissed both of them on the cheek.

Yukhei waited patiently until Yuta pulled away from his parents to introduce him, “Ma, Pa, this is Lucas! He’s one of Renjun’s friends.”

Yukhei stepped forward and where he had been confused before, he understood why Yuta had brought him out here when Yuta’s father turned to face him. Yukhei recognised the thick, jarring lines running from the wizard’s jaw down his neck, the golden tint of his eyes.

He could see the same realisation he had had unfold in the eyes of Yuta’s father and Yukhei felt his heart jump up in his throat when the older werewolf reached out a hand. His grip on Yukhei’s underarm was firm, reassuring. 

“Lucas,” he said, his eyes shining with a kind of benevolence that Yukhei had done nothing to deserve. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Yukhei wanted to utter the greetings he had learned, but his throat was too tight. Overwhelmed, he ducked his head.

It was the witch’s voice coaxed him to look up, her eyes full of the same benevolence that her husband showed. “Yuto darling,” she said, looking at her husband, “Taeyoung and I spent some time in the gardens today, they’re worth a visit. Why don’t you and Lucas go for a walk?”

“Good idea, Ma!” Yuta agreed. “In the meantime, we can go inside and dance for a bit.”

Yuta’s mother laughed, grasping onto the arm her son offered her. “Lead the way, then.”

Yuta winked at Yukhei before he disappeared into the tent with his mother, leaving Yukhei to stand with his father.

Yukhei didn’t want to stare, but he couldn’t avert his eyes. He had never met another werewolf except for the one that had turned him, never once seen another of his kind in human form. He had never gotten the chance to talk to someone who could truly understand him before.

“Shall we go, then?” Yuta’s father motioned towards the gardens and Yukhei was quick to nod.

Now that the initial shock had worn off, he was more than eager to get away from the wedding guests, use the precious time he had been given to ask all the questions about his lycanthropy he could think of. He made an effort to temper himself though and followed along quietly as they walked towards the entrance of the gardens.

Yuta’s mother had been right when she had said that the gardens were beautiful. They followed one of the hedge-framed paths, the smell of flowers thick in the air. Yukhei might’ve been scared of getting lost, but Iseul’s monolith stood in the centre of the gardens like a pillar, the stone glowing softly in the moonlight. Yukhei instinctively turned his face towards the moon, basking in its silver light. It made his blood sing, the other in him closer to his conscious self than usual. It felt terrible and calmed him at the same time.

“How long has it been?”

He opened his eyes to find Yuta’s father looking at him with concerned curiosity in his eyes, his gaze forgiving enough that Yukhei knew the older wouldn’t have held it against him if he had refused to answer.

But he wanted to.

“Three,” he said, holding up the corresponding number of fingers. “Three moons.”

“And I’m sure you felt every one of them.” Yuta’s father perused him with pity. “Merlin, you’re so young. I remember when my son was your age.”

Yukhei looked down. “Does it ever stop hurting?”

“No, unfortunately. It’s not something that you get used to, but you learn to live with it. It’s not an easy life.” In the moonlight, the eyes of the older werewolf glowed. “But it is the one we are given, and for all that it takes from us, it will also make you strong.”

“I want to be strong.” Yukhei squared his shoulder, searching for all the confidence that his old self had had. He _was_ strong. He had been First once upon a time. “I want to have a life.”

“Then you will. It’s not impossible.”

Yukhei believed the smile on the older werewolf’s face because he could see it. He could see that Yuta’s father was _old,_ so much older than Yukhei had ever expected himself to become. His hair looked like the Minister’s with the streaks of silver running by his temple and the scars on his face were pale with how many years they’d had to fade. Yuta’s father had grown old enough to have a wife and a grown son. He had a family. A place where he belonged, that he returned to when the full moon was over.

He had a life.

Yukhei wanted a life too.

He let hope grow in his chest as they drew circles in the garden, the music and clamour of the wedding party muffled by the hedges around them.

In the dark and shielded, Yukhei found it easier to confess, “My friends don’t know.” 

It was something that had been out of question when he had first arrived, but things had changed since then. He wanted to believe that neither of his friends would raise their wands to his chest if they knew.

“Are you thinking about telling them?”

Yukhei bit his lip. He nodded, then shook his head. He didn’t know.

Yuta’s father seemed to understand him. “It’s a difficult question, because we have no control over how other people see us. There is so much misinformation out there. Some see us as no longer human; some are scared we might infect them with a single glance. I can’t lie to you and tell you won’t be discriminated against. It’s a real possibility.

“Though, I do think your friends deserve your honesty. I only know Renjun well, but he’s a smart boy. You’d have a friend in him if no one else.”

Yukhei smiled. He thought of Renjun’s sharp smile and even sharper mind. He thought of the secret kiss Yukhei had witnessed and how he didn’t doubt Renjun would keep his secret too if he ever were to tell him. He looked up when a snowflake landed on his cheek.

 _“Snow,”_ he marvelled in his mother tongue. Pointing at the sky, he turned towards Yuta’s father. “What’s it called?”

“Snow.” The older werewolf smiled at him. “Do you feel the cold?”

Confused, Yukhei tilted his head to the side. He held out his hands to catch some of the white flakes with his hands. It was only because Yuta’s father had pointed it out that he realised he didn’t feel much of a difference between the snow hitting his skin and the warmed fabric of his clothes.

“I don’t feel it.”

Yuta’s father nodded. “I don’t either. As much as my moonlit companion asks of me, he does keep me warm.” A smile spread on the wizard’s lips and Yukhei hoped that he would one day be able to talk with as much ease about the other in him as Yuta’s father could. “It is still cold, though, so we should head back. Your friends must miss you.”

Yukhei nodded. He had savoured every second he had been able to talk to the older werewolf, but it was time to get back to his friends.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely as they approached the gardens’ exit. “For talking with me.”

“Of course.” Yuta’s father smiled at him once more before he turned serious. “I know you’re scared. It’s not easy, being afflicted in the way that we are. But you are not alone. Hold onto that thought when it gets tough.”

Yukhei nodded, adding the sentiment to the newfound pool of hope in his chest. The older werewolf squeezed his shoulder before he left.

Yukhei stayed near the garden for another handful of minutes, just to make sure no one would draw any kind of connection between him and Mr Nakamoto, before he allowed himself to head back inside the wedding tent.

He didn’t have to search for his friends for long, two very familiar faces pouncing on him almost the moment he had stepped through.

“Lucas!” Chenle all but jumped on him, the flush to his usually pale cheeks telling Yukhei that he had stolen sips from Donghyuck’s stolen flask. “There you are! You have to come play with us! Renjun is beating everyone at chocolate frog cards!”

“Yeah, come play with us!” Jisung agreed, unusually loud now that his cheeks were flushed too.

Yukhei let himself be pulled back to their table where Renjun, Jaemin, Jeno and Yangyang where caught up in a heated round of chocolate frog cards. Mark was watching them with bloodshot eyes, his head drooping where he was visibly tired.

Lucas sat down next to him and smiled when Mark’s head promptly landed on his shoulder.

“Hey, dude.” Mark blindly patted his chest. “How was your talk with Doyoung?”

Yukhei didn’t miss a beat. “Good. Where’s Donghyuck?”

“Getting yelled at by Johnny,” Yangyang supplied from Yukhei’s other side, his eyes not leaving the cards on the table.

“What? Why?”

Yangyang grinned, pointing at the ceiling. Yukhei craned his neck, a surprised laugh escaping him when he saw what Yangyang was pointing at. There was a hole in the enchanted fabric of the tent’s ceiling, its smouldering edges telling Yukhei precisely what Johnny was yelling at Donghyuck about.

“Will he be okay?”

“Debatable,” Jaemin said, whining when he had to give some of his cards to Jeno, who promptly tried to smuggle one of them back into Jaemin’s pile. “He always takes it to heart when Johnny scolds him.”

“He’ll be fine.” Mark yawned. “Mr Johnny is very happy today.”

Renjun hummed, shooting Yukhei a smile when their eyes met for a split second. In the next moment, he was busy hitting Jaemin in the chest for trying to look into his cards. Yukhei thought of what Yuta’s father had said about Renjun and smiled to himself.

He was considering joining the game despite his very basic grip on the rules, when he saw something across the wedding tent that caught his attention, made him jerk to his feet before he could control himself.

“Sorry!” he yelped when Mark whined at the loss of his pillow. “Uh, I’m hungry.” Yukhei patted his belly. “I’ll be right back.”

 _“Can you bring me some of those cookies with sprinkles?”_ Chenle called after him and Yukhei shot him a fleeting smile before he was pushing past their table.

His heart was thundering as he slowly made his way across the sea of tables, unable to pry his eyes away from the one that had caught his eye.

Yukhei was familiar with most of the faces. There were Professor Byun and Professor Park stuck with their heads together, Professor Minseok watching them mix together a bite of every possible dessert on the dessert table while also holding a conversation with Professor Do on his other side. It was the wizard sitting next to his Potions professor that had caught Yukhei’s attention.

Yukhei had never seen him before, but he had seen his eyes. They were purple, bright and glowing, and Yukhei thought of venom in his veins, thought of his heart breaking and a sea of decaying yellow flowers. _Veela,_ he thought and was walking towards the table before he realised what he was doing.

He had nearly made it there when his brain caught up with the rest of his body and adjusted his course at the last moment, steering towards the buffet instead.

Loading a plate with as many gold-sprinkled cookies as he could fit, he tried to think of an excuse why he could possibly join the conversation at his teachers’ table. It turned out that he was lucky when about ten minutes later, the purple-eyed wizard got up and moved in his direction.

Yukhei watched out of the corner of his eye as the other wizard took a plate and began to move down the line, picking up desserts here and there. Yukhei held his breath when he arrived next to him.

“Sorry, do you mind if I take a cookie too?”

Yukhei blinked, biting the inside of his cheek as he turned his head. It was rude to stare, he knew it was, but he couldn’t help himself.

 _Are you like him?_ he wanted to ask. _Can you help me?_

 _Mind your manners,_ Dejun’s voice chastised him in his head and he quickly held out the tongs he had been hoarding.

“Thank you.” The wizard smiled at him and Yukhei felt his skin tingle as their fingers brushed. “You want one, too?”

Unable to form words or break away from the wizard’s purple gaze, Yukhei held out his plate, already stacked high with cookies. The wizard’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the small mountain of chocolate chip and Yukhei wanted to drown himself in the closest bowl of gooseberry pudding with embarrassment. The air between them turned awkward, but it didn’t seem to deter the other wizard.

He placed a cookie on top of Yukhei’s pile with a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t judge you for being hungry. I doubt you could eat as much as my friend Chanyeol over there. Are you one of my husband’s students?”

“I’m Lucas.” Yukhei followed the man’s line of sight to where Professor Do was sitting. “You are Professor Do’s husband?”

“That’s right! I’m Jongin Do.” Jongin set the tongs down to stick out his hand and Yukhei took it, his heart racing in his chest.

Not only was the wizard in front of him a part-veela, he was also married. He loved someone and someone loved him back.

Yukhei was afraid he might’ve gripped Jongin’s hand a little too tightly in his desperation. “How?”

“How?” Jongin furrowed his brows as he pulled his hand out of Yukhei’s grip. “Well, it certainly wasn’t as grand of a ceremony as this one.” A fond smile appeared on his face as he perused their lavish surroundings. “But it was a wonderful day, nonetheless. Though, aren’t you a little young to think about marriage?”

Yukhei’s heart jumped in his chest. It was inappropriate to say what he was about to say, he knew that. He didn’t know the wizard in front of him at all, but this was also his chance to ask. It might have been his only chance.

“I love someone like you.”

Jongin’s eyes widened. “What? Like me?”

Yukhei swallowed. “A half-veela. I love a half-veela. He says I can’t love him because he is…that. But I do.” Yukhei pressed his hand against his own heart, beating strong. Always beating for Jungwoo. “I do love him.”

Understanding dawned on Jongin’s face and with it, his expression softened. “You should tell him, then.”

“I did.” Yukhei looked down, the remnants of sugar on his tongue turning sour. “But he said no. Because he is afraid. Because he is half-veela. He thinks I can’t love him.”

Yukhei could see his heartbreak mirrored in Jongin’s eyes when he looked up.

“Oh,” Jongin mumbled, too much knowing, too much memory in his eyes. “I’m very sorry to hear that.” He looked at the cookies between them, lost in thought before he eventually looked at Yukhei with a smile. “Do you want my advice?”

“Please.” Yukhei tried not to show how desperate he really felt. A part of him believed that Jongin might have been able to tell anyways.

“Then, you must promise me something.”

“Yes.”

Jongin didn’t make Yukhei’s heart flutter like Jungwoo did, but it was still easy to give in to the melody of his voice.

“Don’t give up too quickly on your boy.” There was little mirth to Jongin’s smile. “Part-veelas are alluring, but we are not able to compel like our pure-blooded relatives. His charm might lure you in and infatuate you, but he could never make you love him. Not truly. If you love him, you love him for himself.”

Yukhei felt tears prick at his eyes with the relief he felt, the validation and hope. “Thank you for telling me.”

Jongin shook his head. “He might know that you love him, but believing it is a different matter.” His gaze darkened. “Just because we are beautiful does not mean the world is kind to us. There’s many hands reaching out for us and those that catch us often grip too tightly. Be gentle with him.”

Jongin’s gaze flickered over to where his husband was sitting. “If you love him truly, he will see.”

“I will make him see,” Yukhei promised himself more than the part-veela in front of him.

Jongin smiled and picked up the tongs once more. “Then, that’s all the advice I can give you. I wish you good luck, Lucas.”

Yukhei bowed his head, thanked Jongin twice more before he left him at the dessert table. He still felt dazed as he returned to his friends, but managed to set down the plate full of cookies in front of Chenle.

He had barely sat down himself when he felt a hand on his shoulder, his heart nearly stopping when he looked up to find Jungwoo standing behind his chair. Donghyuck was there too, but he was staying back, hovering a couple of metres behind Jungwoo.

Yukhei could tell that Jungwoo was doing his best to smile at him. “Hi, Lucas.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yukhei could see the rest of their friends pausing in whatever they were doing, Jaemin even stopping in the middle of throwing his cards on the table to watch them.

He ignored them and smiled up at Jungwoo, softly. “Hi, Woo.”

The sincerity of his smile seemed to be enough to give Jungwoo the courage to say what he had come to say.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

Next to them, Mark spluttered where he had been in the middle of taking a sip of his drink. Yukhei himself wasn’t quick enough to mask the surprise on his face. Jungwoo’s expression looked like it was about to crumble, but then his words finally registered with Yukhei and he was out of his seat within a heartbeat.

“Yes,” he said and felt no hesitation to take Jungwoo’s hand. “Yes,” he repeated more gently, just between the two of them.

Jungwoo shot him a shaky smile and together they left for the dance floor. Yukhei didn’t miss the satisfied expression on Donghyuck’s face as they passed him.

The dance floor had emptied quite a bit, most of the guests having returned to their tables to drink something and chat with their tablemates. Yukhei was grateful for it. It allowed him to walk to the middle of the dance floor without bumping into anyone.

It wasn’t until he and Jungwoo were standing in front of each other that he realised he had no idea how to dance. When he had been thirteen, Kunhang had tried to get him to sign up for dance lessons with one of the masters as a fun afternoon study, but unlike Dejun who had given in to Kunhang’s puppy dog eyes, Yukhei had brushed it off as a waste of his time.

He regretted being so foolish now as Jungwoo grasped onto his hand and placed the other on his waist.

“I don’t know what to do,” Yukhei admitted in a whisper when Jungwoo closed the distance between them.

“It’s okay.” Jungwoo’s laughter was warm against his cheek. “I can lead.”

He let himself be pulled along by the music and Yukhei let himself be pulled along by Jungwoo. His movements were clumsy, no elegance to their dance, but the steady sound of Jungwoo humming along to the music in his ear told him that they were doing just fine.

“Lucas?” Jungwoo’s lips nearly brushed his ear as he spoke and Yukhei wanted to cry with gratitude that he had been given another chance to be this close to him.

“Yes?”

“What were you talking about with Mr Do?”

Yukhei stumbled, nearly causing them to barrel into another dancing couple before he regained his footing. It took him a moment to find his rhythm again, but then they were waltzing across the dance floor like before. He cleared his throat. “You saw?”

Jungwoo nodded against his shoulder.

Yukhei could have made up and excuse like he had for his conversation with Yuta’s father, but he didn’t want to lie to Jungwoo. Not more than he already did.

“I asked him about veelas.”

Jungwoo’s grip on his hand went impossibly tight and if it hadn’t been for Yukhei pulling them along to the beat of the music this time, they would have come to a halt in the middle of the dance floor.

“What?” Jungwoo’s voice was too high in his ear.

Yukhei focussed on his steps, focussed on not letting their rhythm falter. “I saw Mr Do’s eyes and I wanted to talk to him. I asked him about veelas. I asked him about you and I.”

“Lucas—"

“He told me that your charms aren’t strong enough to make me fall in love with you.” Yukhei smiled, smiled at the lights passing by his eyes as he and Jungwoo danced. “Infatuated with you, yes, but love no. He told me that if I love you, I love you because my heart decided. Not your charms.”

“Lucas, I can’t—”

“I know.” Yukhei allowed himself to pull Jungwoo just a little closer, carry a little more of their weight. _Be gentle,_ Jongin had told him and Yukhei planned to heed his words.

“Let’s just dance, yes? We don’t have to talk. No talking. Just dancing. Just fun.”

Jungwoo didn’t say anything, but he followed along when Yukhei steered them away from the edge of the dance floor back towards its middle. As the music slowed and with it their steps, Yukhei thought his heart might burst out of his chest when Jungwoo’s chin came to rest on his shoulder.

He held on tightly.

*

Ten wasn’t as light anymore as he had been when they had been fifteen, but Kun couldn’t help but savour the way the smaller man leaned on him, his mouth pressing against Kun’s neck in a way that made Kun blush with the knowledge that Johnny, holding Ten up on his other side, was definitely able to see Ten doing so. 

“Ten,” he tried, shrugging his shoulder to shrug Ten off, but Ten only giggled into his ear and scraped his teeth over Kun’s jaw.

Glancing over, Kun could see Johnny smile as he pushed open the door in front of them.

Together, they carried Ten the few metres to the bed he and Kun shared. Ten flopped face-forward into the mattress the moment they let go off him and Kun could hear Johnny suppress a sigh before he helped Kun roll Ten onto his back.

Kun nearly toppled over when Ten’s nimble fingers curled into the front of his robes, pulling him down. “Ten!”

Johnny’s hand on his arm helped Kun stay on his feet.

“I can get him into his pyjamas. Get him a glass of water?” There was no command to Johnny’s voice, which was something he didn’t afford many people so Kun turned and left for the bathroom, ignoring Ten’s protestant whine.

He took a moment to splay his own, wine-flushed face with water before he filled the cup next to the sink and carried it out into the bedroom. Johnny had Ten stripped down to his underwear by then, a petulant pout on Ten’s face while Johnny tried to free his ear from the elaborate chain piercing that connected the tip of his ear with his lobe.

Kun set down Ten’s water on his own bedside table—lest Ten flailed and knocked it over on his own—before he walked over to help Johnny. “This one’s tricky, I got it.”

“Thank you.” Johnny took a step back and busied himself collecting Ten’s expensive robes from the floor while Kun fiddled with the clasp.

Johnny returned to their side once Kun had freed Ten from the offensive piece of jewellery and this time Kun took a step back to let Johnny say goodnight.

He watched as Johnny pulled the duvet from under Ten and covered him with it, pressing a kiss to Ten’s forehead before he told him to go to sleep.

Ten hiccuped, catching onto Johnny’s fingers and squeezing them before he let go. “T’was a good wedding, Johnnyboy,” he slurred. “Love you. Tell Taeyong, too.”

Johnny hid his laughter by biting his cheek. “I will. Sleep well, Tennie.”

“Mhm.”

Laughter was still bright in Johnny’s eyes as he turned around. “Have a good night, Kun. If you need anything, someone’s ought to be up and in the kitchen.”

Kun nodded. “You too, Johnny. And congrats on your marriage.”

“Thank you.” The smile on Johnny’s face broadened another fraction. “I really liked the magic trick you did during Yuta’s speech!”

Kun grinned and waited until Johnny had closed the door behind himself before he turned back towards Ten. He stepped up to the edge of the mattress, adding the ring on his finger to the pile of jewellery on Ten’s bedside table.

“Kun,” Ten whined, pawing at the buttons of his gold-embroidered vest.

Kun caught his hands, pressing a kiss to Ten’s knuckles in order to soothe over his rejection before he firmly planted Ten’s hands on the mattress by his head so he could undress himself in peace.

“Let me get out of my clothes, Tennie.”

“But I can help you with that.” Ten pouted.

Kun smiled down at him. “I know, but it’s late and we’ve both drank too much. You more than me. We should go to bed.”

Ten’s eyes darkened and if Kun hadn’t known him so well, he might have believed the crocodile tears gathering in Ten’s eyes.

“But I miss you,” Ten said in a voice so small that it tugged on Kun’s heartstrings despite the fact that he knew Ten was putting on a show. “I was gone for _months._ Didn’t you miss me at all?”

Kun smiled and leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Ten’s mouth. “Of course, I did.” _More than you know._

“Excellent!” Ten’s expression brightened and he pushed himself up onto his elbows to kiss him, but Kun leaned out of his reach. 

“Let me undress.”

“Ugh,” Ten gurgled, but fell back onto the mattress.

Kun walked over to the dresser by the window, making quick work of his vest and the rest of his festive robes. He didn’t feel like searching for his pyjamas in the duffel bag he had brought, so he decided that his underwear would do just like it did for Ten.

He slid under the covers and wasn’t surprised to find Ten half-asleep on his pillow, a low whine escaping Ten when Kun lifted his head to pillow it on his arm instead.

“Kun,” Ten slurred against his chest.

“Yes, darling?”

Whatever Ten had wanted to say got lost to a sleep-drunken mumble and Kun smiled when Ten’s breath evened out against his chest. He pressed a kiss against Ten’s forehead and cheek, coaxing him into deeper sleep by running soothing circles along his back. 

_The three-headed dragon_ , Kun thought as he trailed the tattoo on Ten’s chest with his fingertips. It was a perfect replica of the design that Johnny carried on his back and Jaehyun on his arm. It was a conversation he had had often with Taeyong and Doyoung, how the three of them would never be able to understand the bond that their partners shared with each other.

Kun didn’t suffer for it.

It had been a given to Kun as long as he had known Ten, that Ten was one of three and that there would never be Ten without Johnny and Jaehyun by his side. He had been watching Ten for so long back then that he hadn’t even been surprised when, all those years ago in the owlery, Ten had told him that he loved his friends differently than they loved him.

 _“Our love is eternal,”_ Ten had said back then to explain to Kun how Johnny and Jaehyun would never choose anyone else than Taeyong and Doyoung and sometimes Kun allowed himself to wonder, whether the same went for Ten.

Against all his expectations, Ten had opened his heart to him and allowed Kun in, allowed Kun hold a piece of his heart, too. He just didn’t know how big that piece was. Johnny had chosen Taeyong and Jaehyun had chosen Doyoung and Kun hoped that there would come a time when Ten would choose him, too.

Sometimes, when Ten was home and they were slow-dancing in their kitchen or tangled up on the couch in their living room, Kun liked to believe that Ten already had. When Ten was home, it was so easy to find the love in his eyes.

But then came the times when he’d close up the café and go upstairs to find a stack of trunks by the door, Ten waiting on the sofa in his travel robes to say goodbye. He’d leave and Kun had to soothe his heartache with the letters Ten sent him from around the world and the growing collection of succulents filling the shelves of his café.

One day, Kun hoped. One day, Ten would not feel the need to go. One day, his travelling robes would collect dust in the back of their wardrobe and his trunks would be a nuisance taking up space on the bottom of their closet but they’d stay there, never crossing over their threshold again.

One day, Ten would be all his.

Ten snuffled in his sleep, shuffling closer to Kun before his body relaxed once more and Kun didn’t hesitate to hold him close.

For now, Kun had to make the most of every moment.

*

Johnny closed the door to Kun and Ten’s room behind himself and took a moment to listen down the hallway, content when there was nothing sounding from under the doors except for quiet murmurs or the occasional heavy snore.

They hadn’t been the last to leave the party, but nearly and Johnny might have never left if he hadn’t been able to count of his father to make sure even the last of the guests would find their way home or into their assigned rooms.

It had been a long, wondrous day and now Johnny wanted to end it with his short, wondrous husband. Taeyong should’ve been waiting for him in their bed by now and Johnny felt a pleasant buzz of anticipation curl in his stomach as he walked down the hallway towards the grand staircase of the Manor.

There was little else on his mind but Taeyong and their bed and Taeyong in their bed and he attributed it to how early he had gotten up in the morning to talk to his mother that the sight of Taeyong, not in their bed but dragging a struggling Donghyuck into the Manor’s sitting room by the back of his robes, registered in his mind.

Frowning, he descended the stairs two at a time and slipped through the door Taeyong had failed to close behind himself. The furniture inside the sitting room had been restored to its usual arrangement, the low crackle of the fireplace greeting Johnny as he set foot into the room.

Donghyuck was sitting on the sofa closest to the fire, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his head lowered as Taeyong talked to him from where he had taken a seat on the sofa next to him.

“Hyuck,” Taeyong was saying, his voice urgent and Johnny echoed him, “Hyuck?”

Both Taeyong and Donghyuck looked up at the sound of his voice, Donghyuck paling while relief painted Taeyong’s face. “Johnny.”

“What’s going on?” Johnny purposefully kept his voice calm as he walked over and sat down on Donghyuck’s other side, meeting Taeyong’s eyes over Donghyuck’s head.

“Taeyong,” Donghyuck whined, stretching the last syllable of Taeyong’s name in the way he always did when he was trying to get Taeyong on his side. It seemed to fall on deaf ears this time and that alone was enough to make Johnny tense.

Taeyong frowned as he reached into the pocket of his robes, the yellow diamonds that were still sitting in his hair glittering in the firelight. Johnny couldn’t allow himself to get distracted. If Taeyong had dragged Donghyuck here on his and Johnny’s wedding night to scold him, Donghyuck’s offense must have been grave, going far beyond another prank.

“I caught him stealing this from my office.”

Taeyong placed a vial of shimmering, butter yellow powder on the coffee table and Johnny’s eyes widened.

“Hyuck,” he asked slowly as he examined the vial, “what do you need lacewing powder for?”

There wasn’t much Johnny could remember about the potion recipe they had used lacewing fly for in Potions class, but Johnny doubted that Donghyuck had stolen the ingredient for his school work. Lacewing fly had another, more popular but strictly forbidden use when it was ground into powder.

Donghyuck sat up straight, his mouth falling open with indignance. “I’m not using it to get high!” 

Johnny shook his head. He wouldn’t have expected that from Donghyuck, either. “Not you, maybe, but—”

“No.” Donghyuck glared at him. 

“It’s a regulated ingredient, Donghyuck.” Taeyong frowned. “It was in my office locked away for a reason. What did you steal it for?”

Donghyuck looked between the two of them. “It’s not what it looks like!”

“Of course.” Johnny let no amusement linger in his voice. “Just tell us the truth.”

Donghyuck held his gaze for a second, two, before he caved in, casting his eyes downwards. “I wanted to use it to perform a revelation spell.”

“A revelation spell? Which one?”

Donghyuck shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. _“Caecus Lucis.”_

“Donghyuck!”

Johnny held up his hand, asking Taeyong to contain his outrage for the moment. “Hyuck,” he said quietly, calmly. “That’s dark magic.”

Donghyuck shrugged. “Dark, but powerful.”

Johnny grabbed onto Taeyong’s hand behind Donghyuck’s back before his poor husband could suffer from heart palpitations.

“Why?” he asked his cousin.

To his surprise, Donghyuck looked near tears when he looked back up. “Something is wrong, Johnny.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t—” Donghyuck shook his head, buried it in his hands, “I can’t even tell you, that’s the worst of it. I just know there’s something wrong. There’s something _hounding_ us, Cousin. Something we don’t—I can’t see it yet, but it’s there.”

“Hyuckie…” Taeyong’s voice was heavy with concern as he laid his arms around Donghyuck’s shoulders.

Donghyuck instinctively curled into his side, his voice softer when he said, “I know how ridiculous it sounds, but I _swear_ to you both I can feel it. I know it’s there. Whatever it is, it set the boggart free to attack Chenle and Jisung. It killed Jungwoo’s plants. All my friends, it’s coming for all my friends one by one. It even made Lucas sick, and he’s been around only for handful of months.”

Johnny met Taeyong’s eyes above Donghyuck’s head, pressing his lips shut when Taeyong, wide-eyed, shook his head minutely.

“There’s something hiding in the shadows of the castle and I want to drag it out into the light.” When Donghyuck looked up, there was nothing but grim determination in his eyes and Johnny wondered when his baby cousin had grown up so much. “Protect your friends, Cousin, that’s what you taught me and that’s what I want to do. It’s why I need the lacewing powder. If I can perform a revelation spell powerful enough to drag any dark presence into the light, I can fight it and protect my friends.”

Johnny shook his head. “This is not the way, Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck gritted his teeth. “What else am I supposed to do then? Tell a teacher?”

“For example,” Taeyong said. 

Donghyuck scoffed. “What good has that ever done? By the time they’ll do something, it’ll be too late.” His amber eyes—the amber eyes they shared—met Johnny’s. “They were too late on the clearing with the bad woman and I haven’t forgotten. I won’t let anything happen to my friends. What if it gets another one? What if—what if Mark is next?”

Donghyuck broke off, grabbing onto Taeyong’s arm draped across his chest and holding on tightly. “I wouldn’t survive that,” he admitted in a small voice.

Johnny inhaled deeply. “If this is truly how you feel—”

“I do! I’m not making this up, I talked to both Renjun and Yangyang and they agree with me!”

Johnny suppressed a smile. He didn’t want to tell his cousin that Renjun and Yangyang probably would have agreed with Donghyuck if Donghyuck had decided that the sky was green.

“If this is how you truly feel,” Johnny repeated more firmly, “then we’ll take care of it. Like we always do. If you notice anything _substantial,_ talk to Taeil. You know you can trust him, if you don’t want to trust any of the other teachers.”

“He’ll see.” Taeyong nodded.

Donghyuck sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, mulling the thought over for a moment before he released his lip. “Fine,” he huffed, but Johnny heard the consolation underneath.

“Good,” Taeyong hid a yawn behind the embroidered sleeve of his wedding robe, “that’s settled then. It’s late now, you should go to bed.”

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow at Taeyong, muttering a “gross” under his breath, but he got up from the sofa all the same. Johnny plucked the vial of lacewing powder from the coffee table and safely put it away in his pocket before Donghyuck’s nimble fingers could brush past, possibly close around it. 

“What, no goodnight kiss for your cousin-in-law?” Taeyong fired back as Donghyuck was already approaching the door.

“Don’t worry, my love,” Johnny beamed at him, “I’ll give you plenty of kisses.”

“Gross!” Donghyuck yelled loudly before he slipped through the door and threw it shut behind himself.

Johnny chuckled whilst opening his arms, savouring the press of Taeyong’s lips against his own as his husband settled against him.

“A knut for your thoughts?” Johnny asked, rubbing the last of upset tension out of his husband’s shoulders.

Taeyong hid another yawn in Johnny’s neck before he answered. “I think that Donghyuck is right when he says you taught him to be the way he is. I don’t think you realise how similar you two are. He’s like you, only a little funnier.”

_“Hey!”_

Taeyong giggled, a small, exhausted sigh escaping him as he pillowed his head on Johnny’s shoulder. “What do you think?”

Johnny hummed. “I think that it’s been a long day and I want to spend the rest of it with my beautiful husband, whom I love so much.”

“Hey, Johnny?”

“Yes, my love?”

“We are married.”

Johnny smiled, pressed a lingering kiss against Taeyong’s temple. “I know. I think this might be the happiest day of my life.”

Taeyong snuggled into him before he pulled away, pulling Johnny with him by their intertwined fingers. Donghyuck’s concern lingered at the back of Johnny’s mind, but for now, with everyone that he and his cousin loved gathered safe and soundly under their roof, Johnny allowed his worries to fall away and focus on Taeyong’s hand in his, Taeyong’s sweet voice leading him to bed.

They were married and Johnny wanted to savour every moment of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A many things hiding in the dark. Thought and feelings and--  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
>   
> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	16. Punch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m putting a trigger warning on this chapter. If you are sensitive to such content, please refer to the end notes for more specific (spoiler!) information.
> 
> On a happier note, #HAPPYXIAOJUNDAY!

Yukhei pried one hand away from his broom to wipe the snow out of his eyes. Even this high above the stands, he could hear the clamour of the crowd, their cheers and clapping. He might’ve taken the time to try and make out his friends in the sea of yellow and blue, but then there was the tell-tale whistle of a bludger coming his way and he ripped his attention away to dodge it. 

Before it could get anywhere close to him, a flash of silver and yellow shot up in front of his eyes and then Jungwoo was in front of him, swinging his Beater bat and sending the bludger flying back in the direction it had come from. With glimmering black eyes, Jungwoo spun his broom around. 

“Are you all right?” he yelled over the wind rushing in their ears and Yukhei nodded, giving him a thumbs-up. 

The grey veins around Jungwoo’s eyes faded back into his skin and he flew off, leaving Yukhei to continue to hover in front of their rings. Thirty minutes into the game, neither Ravenclaw nor Hufflepuff had scored so far and Yukhei was eager to leave his position, but he had been explicitly told by Yuqi to keep it easy and support their Keeper until she called on him. 

“No one knows yet what you can do, I don’t want to give up that advantage too soon,” she had told him before the game while they had marched through the tunnel leading into the stadium.

Yukhei tried not to feel like he had been sidelined. He knew Yuqi and the rest of his team trusted him, and would trust him when the time came. Until then he was stuck playing defence, using his body mass and the maneuverability of his Nimbus to block the quaffle from coming anywhere near their goal posts. 

“Lucas!”

His attention snapped back to the game when he heard Felix call out for him. He was quick to catch the quaffle his fellow Chaser sent his way. Not a moment later, Felix was rammed into by one of the Ravenclaw Chasers and Yukhei felt a roar leave his lips as he watched the both of them crash into the stands. 

He had no chance to check up on his friend, though, because with the quaffle in his hands, the attention of the game had shifted to him. He could see the two remaining Ravenclaw Chasers redirect their brooms to fly towards him. 

“Lucas!” the Hufflepuff Keeper yelled behind him. “Go!” 

Cursing, he wedged the quaffle under one arm and shot off towards the Ravenclaw rings where Yuqi was already waiting for him. He was about to pass her the quaffle when she was jammed by both Ravenclaw Beaters, the two players effectively immobilising her in mid-air.

“The Ravenclaws are masters of strategy,” Yuqi had told him in the tunnel. “Everything they do follows a precise plan. They move to win.” 

Yukhei pulled his broom to a hard stop and plucked the quaffle from under his arm. The fat flakes of snow falling from the sky obscured his vision, but not enough to stop him. He was playing to win, too. 

Uncaring of the two Ravenclaw Chasers still headed towards him, he aimed and threw the leather ball as hard as he could, watched as it sailed right between the Chasers’ heads and shot through the lowest of the Ravenclaw rings. 

The bell announcing his goal rang through the air and Yukhei pumped his fist into the air, savouring the sound of the bell as much as the frustrated cry that spilled over the lips of the Ravenclaw Captain. If he was their Captain, he had made the plan and decided to send Felix crashing into the stands. 

“Well done, Lucas!” Yuqi pulled up next to him. Her curls had partially loosened out of her ponytail during her ruffle with the Ravenclaw Beaters and the wild grin on her face made Yukhei grin too. “Now we show them what we’re capable of!” 

Yukhei nodded and flew by her side as they advanced towards the Ravenclaw goal together. 

After Yukhei’s first goal, the spell seemed to have been broken and the game picked up a break-neck speed. It left Yukhei breathless and sweating in his uniform, but feeling more alive than he had felt in a long time. The Ravenclaws evened the score soon enough and from then on it seemed they were playing with no holds barred. 

Every single one of Yukhei’s nerve endings was alight, blood rushing in his ears as he followed the quaffle as if his life depended on it. He knew he was playing a little reckless, but there was little that could stop him and he could count on Jungwoo to protect him from any bludgers coming his way. By the time the score was sixty to ninety for Hufflepuff, he felt euphoria creep into his veins, but he knew he couldn’t celebrate too soon. 

It was after Felix, who had returned to the game after being examined by Madame Yoona on the ground, had scored their tenth goal that Yukhei felt a shift in the game. It wasn’t until he was on his way to score again and he realised that no one was chasing him that he pulled his broom to a stop, trying to catch up with how the strategy of the Ravenclaw had changed. 

“Yuqi!” he called out as soon as he was next to her. “What are they doing?” 

Yuqi seemed to be as confused as him, her eyes flicking over the field before her gaze turned upwards and her expression turned dark. 

“Oh, Merlin, no! Jungwoo! Sanghyun!” she called out to their Beaters. “They’re going after Jeno!” 

Yukhei felt his heart drop somewhere to his knees as he saw what Yuqi saw. Metres above them, Jeno was flying in loops and spirals to evade the three Ravenclaw Chasers hot on his bristles. 

“Why?” he cried out, torn between chasing the rings and helping Jeno. “He’s Seeker!” 

“Because these overly rational bastards don’t care about sportsmanship!” Yuqi cursed as she took the quaffle from Yukhei and tossed it at Felix, who promptly took off. “They know they can only win if Kevin catches the snitch, so they’re trying to take Jeno out!” 

“I have to help him!” 

“No! If you get in there and get hurt, it’s over for us for real!” 

Yukhei couldn’t help the frustrated noise that escaped him, the borderline growl. 

Yuqi withstood his glare, her voice unwavering as she screamed to be heard above the snow storm around them, “Help Felix! Score as many times as you can! I’ll go and help Jeno!” 

Yukhei knew that she would, that Sanghyun, Jungwoo and her would be able to keep Jeno from harm, but the thought of staying back still made his stomach turn. He didn’t care about the game when Jeno was in danger of being taken out of the sky. 

The bell announcing another goal made him avert his eyes to where Felix was circling around the Ravenclaw goal posts, catching the quaffle he had used to score. Setting his jaw, Yukhei took off in his direction. No matter how badly he wanted to help Jeno, a lone player was never a good idea and Felix had already been hurt once. 

Felix shot him a small smile as Yukhei arrived by his side and together they pulled their brooms upright, gaining on height. Felix passed him the quaffle and Yukhei aimed, but didn’t get to throw when suddenly, Felix was pushing against his side, causing his broom to steer off aim. 

He gasped, the quaffle falling from his fingertips, but he understood why Felix had done what he had done when he heard the familiar whistle of a bludger nearing. He saw the black ball shoot past him a moment later and pulled his broom around to make out the sapphire blue form of its sender. 

“Missed me,” he mouthed at the Ravenclaw Beater and was met with a smug grin. 

The expression made Yukhei’s blood run cold, his eyes instinctively flickering up to where Jeno was, but Jeno had long since outmaneuvered his opponents. Instead, he was shooting across the sky like a canary yellow comet, his arm outstretched to catch what Yukhei couldn’t see but knew was there. 

The realisation that if it wasn’t Jeno, it was him, reached him too late. 

“Lucas!” 

Jungwoo’s voice rang in his ear and then his vision was filled with yellow and silver once more and Jungwoo was pushing him out of the way, diverting the bludger aimed at his head. This time, the angle was wrong though and while Jungwoo managed to knock the bludger off course, the ball took his bat with it, causing Jungwoo to nearly topple off his broom as his arm was pulled along unexpectedly. 

Yukhei moved before he could think, their brooms knocking together in his haste to hold onto Jungwoo. He wrapped his arms securely around Jungwoo’s waist, holding them both up as Jungwoo fell back against him. 

“I have you.” 

Jungwoo’s mouth fell open, shallow breaths coming over his lips as he looked up at Yukhei. They were both jolted by the resounding bell announcing the end of the game. 

While the stands erupted into cheers, the announcer’s voice rang clearly through the air, “Jeno Lee has caught the snitch! Hufflepuff wins with two hundred and sixty points!” 

Yukhei needed a moment to process the words but when he did, he howled into the afternoon air, letting go of Jungwoo only to pull him into a sideways hug. It was difficult to descend like this, but Yukhei didn’t care, didn’t want to let go of Jungwoo when they had won. 

“We did it! We won!” 

“Yes, we did!” Jungwoo laughed into his ear, clinging to him just as much. 

They only let go of each other when their feet hit the ground and even then Yukhei only took the time to dismount his broom before he was pulling Jungwoo into his arms once more. 

“You were amazing, Woo!” 

Jungwoo’s cheek were flush with happiness, his eyes shining so bright Yukhei thought he might have been able to see the purple behind the brown of the obscuring spell. 

Yukhei’s own joy only amplified when he saw the overjoyed faces of his teammates, Jungwoo staying bright and laughing by his side as they joined the crowd around Jeno. Jeno was laughing as he was hoisted into the air, his fist still closed around the fluttering snitch. 

“You too, Captain!” Yukhei yelled and lifted Yuqi into the air, laughing at the way she shrieked when Jungwoo and Sanghyun joined him so they could throw her up before catching her. 

By the time Yuqi had freed herself from their clutches, Jeno was on his feet again and Yukhei wasted no time pulling him into a hug. “Hogwarts’ best Seeker!” he roared and grinned when his team echoed his words. 

Jeno nearly folded under the abundance of hands that came down on his back. His smile was humble, but Yukhei saw the real joy underneath. 

“Jeno! _ Jeno!”  _

Yukhei took a step back when the rest of their friends flooded the pitch. 

The first ones who weaselled their way into Jeno’s arms were the twins, shortly followed by Jaemin, who jumped into Jeno’s arms, cheering and peppering his face in kisses as he let out garbled screams of joy and “That’s my best fucking friend!” 

Jeno laughed, flushing red under all the attention and Yukhei had to help pull Jaemin off of Jeno to give Donghyuck and Mark a chance to congratulate him. Yangyang grinned as it was his turn, congratulating Jeno on becoming Hogwarts’ “second-best Seeker” before offering Jeno a rare hug. Jeno ruffled Yangyang’s hair before he let go and Yukhei couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Yangyang’s disgruntled expression. 

“Aw, Yangie, don’t look so grumpy!” Jaemin giggled from where he was hanging off of Jeno’s shoulder. “Come here, I’ll give you a kiss!” 

Yangyang flipped him the bird before he hid behind Mark and Donghyuck. 

Renjun was the last one to step forward, his eyes bright and hair dishevelled from the snow. The yellow paint on his cheeks was smudged and if Yukhei wouldn’t have witnessed what had happened in the Hufflepuff common room, he might have missed the way Jeno’s expression seemed to soften around the edges, the pink of his cheeks extending to his ears as he offered Renjun a shy grin. 

Yukhei had expected Renjun to follow after Donghyuck and pull Jeno into a short but tight hug. He had expected Renjun to pat Jeno on the back and maybe squish his cheeks before jokingly telling him to not make it so suspenseful next time. 

Instead, Renjun stepped into Jeno’s space, cupped his cheeks with his gloved hands and pulled him down to kiss him square on the mouth. 

A part of Yukhei wanted to laugh, wanted to congratulate his friend for finally finding the courage to kiss Jeno in public, but he felt the laughter die in his throat when his eyes flickered over to where Jaemin had gone still right next to them. The smile on Jaemin’s face faded slowly, his shock-open mouth pressing into a tight line while the rest of the students around them whooped and wolf-whistled. The only one who seemed to notice as quickly as Yukhei was Jeno, his head turning the moment Renjun let go of him. 

But it was already too late by then. 

Shaking his head as if he was trying to shake the sight he had just witnessed out of his memory, Jaemin backed away through the crowd, the empty space he left immediately filled by more students eager to congratulate the winners of today’s game. 

“Jaemin!” Jeno called out over their heads, but Jaemin was either too far gone already or pretended not to hear him. 

“Jeno.” Renjun grabbed onto Jeno’s hand, but Jeno paid him no mind. He freed himself and moved to push through the crowd. 

He only stopped short when Donghyuck slid into his way. “No.” Donghyuck laid a hand onto Jeno’s arm, a subtle order for him to stay put. “Let him be, you’re only going to make it worse.” 

Yukhei found himself almost marvelling at the way Jeno’s face contorted with anger. He had never seen Jeno angry before.

“Let me go, Donghyuck!” Jeno growled, loud enough for the people closest to them to fall quiet. 

“Jeno—” 

Jeno shouldered past Donghyuck, ignoring the way Donghyuck called after him. With Jeno gone, Donghyuck turned around to look at Renjun, whose unblinking eyes were glued to the ground. His chest was heaving as if he was trying really hard not to let the tears pooling in his eyes fall. 

Donghyuck’s expression darkened another fraction before it softened and then he was bridging the distance between them to pull Renjun into his arms, Jisung and Chenle joining their hug. 

Yukhei wanted to join too when he felt a hand land on his arm. He looked up at Mark with surprise. 

“They’ll take care of Injunnie. Don’t worry about him right now.” Mark squeezed his arm. “We have to go after Jeno and Jaemin.” 

Yukhei nodded and followed after Mark as he cleared them a way out of the crowd. Yukhei felt relieved when he looked back to find Jungwoo right behind him. He held out his hand. With a small smile, Jungwoo took it. 

Hand in hand, they followed Mark up the trodden path to the castle. Yukhei was grateful that his muscles were already warmed up from the Quidditch game so his thigh muscles only protested minimally at the sudden sprint. 

In comparison to the cold November air outside, the inside of the castle was lusciously warm and Yukhei heard Mark curse as his glasses fogged up. 

“Where do we go first?” Jungwoo asked. 

“Kitchens.” 

Jungwoo nodded and led the way down the stairs to the Hufflepuff basement that also held the hidden entrance to the kitchens. They were halfway down the corridor when a lone figure turned the corner. 

Jeno’s gaze was wild and he nearly ran past them until Mark grabbed onto his arm. “Jeno!” 

Jeno needed a moment to recognise Mark, but when he did, he stopped trying to pry Mark off of him. “Mark!” 

Mark wasted no time. “Is Jaemin in the kitchens?”

Jeno shook his head. “He was there, but he had already left when I came in. I talked to the kitchen elves. They were up in arms because he broke open one of the teacher’s cabinets.”

“Fuck.” Yukhei startled hearing Mark curse. “Which teacher?” 

Jeno looked like he wanted to curse too. “Professor Do.”

“Oh, Merlin, but Professor Do—”

“I know. We have to find him, Mark.” 

“Okay, okay.” Mark rubbed a hand over his face before he set his jaw. “You have the greatest chance to find him, so you take Lucas with you. He’s big. He’ll be able to stop him if Jaemin tries to punch you.” 

Yukhei perked up when his name was said, faltering only when he noticed the glare on Jungwoo’s face. Mark stepped close to Jungwoo and threw an arm around his shoulder in consolation. 

“We’ll take the Slytherin common room. You go wherever you think he is. If you find him first, send us a patronus.” 

Jeno nodded and then he was moving, heading straight for the stairs. Yukhei hurried to follow, throwing one last look over his shoulder to find Jungwoo huffing at Mark’s apologetic expression. 

Jeno was quiet as they moved through the castle, his brow caught in a permanent furrow. Yukhei wished he would have had any words of consolation, but he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on between Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun and so he remained silent, offering Jeno quiet support as they ascended the Grand Staircase. Jeno led him higher and higher until they had reached the top of the highest stairs. Yukhei nervously bit his lip as they walked down the corridor. 

“Forbidden,” he whispered as they reached the end of the corridor and Jeno directed his wand at the door there. 

Yukhei didn’t know much, but he knew that the Astronomy Tower was off-limits for students outside of class. It didn’t stop him from following Jeno up the spiral staircase behind the door. Shortly before they reached the top, Jeno pulled him to a halt. He had spied through the ajar door at the top of the stairs even before Yukhei had realised it was there. 

Yukhei instinctively covered his eyes as the dark, crammed staircase was flooded with light. Through the slits between his fingers, he watched as a floppy-eared beagle made from silver light jumped around Jeno’s ankles. Jeno picked it up and whispered into its ear before releasing his patronus, the beagle taking off down the stairs. 

Jeno’s expression was unsettling in its seriousness as he turned to Yukhei. “What we’re about to find is going to be very ugly, Lucas. You have to promise me that you will ignore whatever Jaemin is going to say and help me get him to the Slytherin common room, okay? No matter what, he has to be safe first.”

Yukhei furrowed his brows. “Safe?” His heart skipped a beat. “Jaemin is hurt?” 

Jeno shook his head. “No.” The smile on his face was mirthless. “Chances are, he probably doesn’t feel much of anything right now.” 

*

Jeno had been eight the first time he had met Jaemin. He remembered it vividly, how he had been playing behind the bar in his fathers’ pub that afternoon, trying to teach Bongsik tricks by bribing her with sausage from the kitchen. The bell above the door had chimed and the rain had swept in a group of witches and wizards. Among all the adults had been Jaemin. 

It had been so rare that Jeno had gotten to see other children enter D&E’s that from that moment on, Bongsik had been forgotten (much to her relief) and he had been watching Jaemin from his safe place behind the swinging door. 

Jeno remembered thinking how weird it was, to see the unfamiliar group sit at their table in the corner for hours without any of them ordering something to eat with their drinks, and how out of place Jaemin had looked between them, just as haggard as the rest of his family but with his eyes bright instead of dull. Bright and hungry. 

“Pa,” Jeno had tugged on his stepfather’s robes where Eunhyuk had been polishing glasses behind the counter, “can I give this to the boy?” 

Eunhyuk had frowned at the sausage Jeno had held under his nose. “Boy?” he had asked. “What boy?” 

Jeno had pointed at the table in the corner and Eunhyuk’s expression had darkened before it had softened as he had laid eyes on Jaemin. “Yes. Go into the kitchen and ask your father for some bread and rice pudding, too.” 

Jeno had done as he had been told and with his spoils on a neat little tray, he had approached the corner table. Having grown up in a pub in Knockturn Alley, Jeno had been used to all kinds of shady figures. Most of them adored him and were his friends, but for some reason the group had made his skin crawl. 

They had laughed loudly and spoken in slurred tones and when Jeno had approached them, they had watched him with dull, blown-out eyes without saying anything. Jeno hadn’t understood it then, but all his worries had dissipated when he had seen Jaemin looking back at him, eyes tired but curious. Jeno had smiled at him and pushed forward the tray in his hands. 

“Are you hungry?” he had asked and soon enough the two of them had been sitting behind the bar, Jaemin gobbling up the food like he hadn’t eaten that day yet. 

Jeno had felt a little put out at first at Jaemin ignoring him in favour of the food but once the tray had been empty, Jaemin had obediently followed him into the kitchen where Jeno had introduced him to his father and Bongsik and it had taken some time but eventually Jaemin had joined in on trying to get Bongsik to roll over when Jeno said “Roll over!” 

That night, Jaemin had cried when Eunhyuk had come to get him because his family had been about to leave and Jeno remembered the promise he had made to Jaemin, “You can always come back! I’ll be here, and Bongsik too!” 

Jaemin had come back. In fact, his family had come back almost every day, more often than even the pub’s regular patrons and Jeno had been delighted because Jaemin’s smile had always turned bright after Donghae had given him food and Jaemin had been a much better Goblin’s Gold partner than the old witch patron that always had given Jeno snakeskin candy when he had joined her at her table so she wouldn't be alone. 

In retrospect, Jeno thought that the week Jaemin and his family had disappeared must have been the first time in his life that he had felt truly distraught. Not only had he felt heartbroken at the sudden absence of his friend, but the unusually tense atmosphere between his fathers had also been stressing him out. 

He had been too young to understand the whispered arguments they had had after they had sent Jeno to bed, never giving him an answer when he had asked whether they knew where Jaemin had gone, but he remembered the day he had come down for breakfast to find Jaemin sitting at the breakfast table. Jaemin had looked a little drowsy with deep circles underneath his eyes, but his smile had been real when Jeno had called out his name with excitement. 

“Sit down, Jeno,” his father had told him and Jeno had been eager to take the seat next to Jaemin. 

“Jeno,” Eunhyuk had called out to him and it had only been then that he had realised that his fathers were wearing their serious faces. “We have to talk to you about something.” 

“Something bad?” Jeno had clung to Jaemin’s shoulder. Jaemin had seemed unfazed where he had been busy shovelling oatmeal into his mouth. 

His father had shaken his head. “No. It’s not bad.”

“We think it’s good,” Eunhyuk had said. “What would you say if Jaemin stayed with us from now on?” 

“You mean…” The spark of excitement Jeno had felt had been better than Christmas. “...Jaemin’s going to live with us?” 

His father had nodded and Jeno had shrieked. Jaemin had flinched and then sputtered when Jeno had thrown his arms around him. His excitement had only been dampened when he had remembered dull eyes and jittery hands reaching out to pull Jaemin away from him. 

“What about his parents?” 

There had been a moment of silence, his fathers exchanging a glance before Eunhyuk had placed more food on Jaemin’s plate. 

“If his parents come here, you come and get me,” Donghae had said. 

Jeno had known that his father had been a scary man once upon a time, but he had never seen his father look like it until that day. In that moment, he had found reassurance in the knowledge that his parents were going to make sure Jaemin could stay with them. 

“My parents won’t come for me,” Jaemin had told him that night, as they had lied cramped in Jeno’s twin size bed. “They don’t care about me.”

Jeno had frowned at that. “But they have to. You’re their son.” 

“I’m no one’s son,” Jaemin had told him then, an urgency in his eyes that had only faded when Jeno had nodded his head, taking Jaemin’s hand.

“You’re no one’s son,” Jeno had repeated, grinning when he had added, “but you’re my best friend.” 

The smile that had overtaken Jaemin’s face then had split his face in two, brighter than all of the stars visible through Jeno’s window. 

“Yes,” he had said and stretched out like Bongsik did. “Now I belong to you.” 

Jeno clung to the memory of Jaemin’s smile as he opened the door. The floorboards of the Astronomy classroom were covered with snow, a gust of freezing wind causing Lucas behind him to inhale sharply. 

Much like Jeno had hoped, the classroom was empty safe for a lone figure sitting in front of the large, floor-length windows that allowed a perfect view of the darkening sky. Jaemin sat hunched in on himself, one of his legs crossed under him while the other dangled over the edge of the open window. Jeno felt his heart skip a beat, motioning for Lucas to stay back as he crossed the snow-covered floorboards. 

“Jaemin,” he called out softly. 

Jaemin didn’t react at first, but when Jeno got close enough, he turned around to grin at Jeno. His eyes were blown-out and bloodshot, tear-tracks running through the smudged yellow paint on his cheeks. 

“Jeno.” The first letter of Jeno’s name came out slurred. 

Swallowing the tears rising in his throat, Jeno forced a smile onto his face. “Hey, Nana.” 

With Jaemin watching him dully, he crouched down slowly, fisting one hand securely into the back of Jaemin’s robes before he checked his fingers for any stains of butter yellow powder. He exhaled with relief when he found none. Jaemin seemed to only have gotten to the scornberry wine in Professor Do’s personal cabinet in the kitchen. Jeno could see the half-empty bottle next to Jaemin’s knee. 

He fell to the side when Jaemin’s hands suddenly jerked upwards and pushed against his chest, the slur to his words doing nothing to lessen the venom in his voice. “Let go of me!” 

“Jaemin!” 

“No!” 

Pain bloomed on Jeno’s face when Jaemin’s fist collided with his jaw, his shoulder and then Jaemin was on top of him, his fists raining down on Jeno’s chest. “Everyone in this castle, Jeno! Everyone in this castle would bend over backwards for a chance with you, our oh-so-admirable Head Boy! And you went after the boy  _ I _ liked? Fuck you, Jeno Lee! Fuck you harder than he fucked you!” 

“It’s not like that, Jaemin!” Jeno tried to catch Jaemin’s hands, but Jaemin was uncoordinated in his punches and with that unpredictable. 

“My best friend, Je no! You  were my best fucking friend! How could you do that to me?”

“Nana—” 

Jaemin bodily recoiled from him. “Don’t you dare call me that! Only my friends call me that!” 

Jeno felt his heart sink. “But I’m your best friend.” 

“You’re not my friend, Jeno.” The laughter that came out of Jaemin’s mouth was mirthless and terrible, turned into a sob. “My friend would have never done that to me.” 

“But I am!” Jeno was. Since they had been eight, they had been inseparable. He was. 

“You lied to me.” Jeno felt his heart sink when the anger in Jaemin’s eyes turned into tears. ” You knew how much I liked him! And I asked you! I asked you all the time! ‘Isn’t there anyone you like, Jeno?’ I asked all the time! You never said anything! Did you want him so badly that you had to do it behind my back?” 

This time, Jeno didn’t feel it when Jaemin’s fist came down on his chest. There was no power behind Jaemin’s movements anymore, his voice falling into an exhausted whisper. “I hate you so much.” 

The tears took Jaemin over then and Jeno saw that as his chance to speak. He couldn’t let Jaemin hate him. It was inconceivable, losing Jaemin. “It’s not like that, Jaemin. Renjun—” 

A last, stinging hit against his mouth made him shut up. Jaemin swayed dangerously on top of him and Jeno panicked that Jaemin might topple over to the wrong side, but then Lucas was there, throwing his arms around Jaemin from behind and lifting him up. Jaemin struggled against his grip, but there was no escaping Lucas’ arms and Jeno used the opportunity to sit up while Lucas brought himself and Jaemin to the ground, keeping Jaemin caught between his legs. 

Lucas wheezed as one of Jaemin’s elbows caught him in the nose just as the door to the Astronomy Tower flew open.

*

Yukhei couldn’t say he wasn’t relieved when he saw Jungwoo and Mark burst into the room, Donghyuck and Renjun right behind them. Renjun pushed past them all to get to Jeno, falling to his knees so he could cup Jeno’s face where Jeno was dabbing at his split bottom lip and Yukhei felt Jaemin grow still in his arms.

“Lucas!” Yukhei turned his head at the sound of Jungwoo’s voice, surprised when Jungwoo crouched down by his side and turned his head much like Renjun had done to Jeno. “Are you okay?” 

Yukhei blinked when Jungwoo pulled his hands away from his face and they were stained red. He hadn’t even noticed his nose was bleeding. The other in him roiled at the sight. 

“I’m okay,” he whispered. “Help, Jaemin.” 

Jungwoo looked half-worried and half-furious as his eyes fell onto Jaemin, who was currently being examined by Mark.

“C’mon, dude,” the smile on Mark’s face was strained as he offered Jaemin his hands, “let’s get you out of here.” 

Jaemin’s answering drunken mumble didn’t sound very kind, but Mark looked unfazed as he got Jaemin to his feet with Jungwoo’s help. They each slung one of Jaemin’s arms over their shoulder before heading for the door. 

“Chenle and Jisung are waiting for you at the entrance to the Dungeon!” Donghyuck called out to them from where he had joined Renjun by Jeno’s side. “Get him straight into bed and make sure no one sees you! He’ll get kicked off the team if any one the teachers see him like this!” 

Mark’s answering nod was grim and Yukhei watched his friends go with a heavy heart. He wiped his nose, tilting his head back. He was surprised when a small, gentle hand came to cover his own. 

_ “Let me fix it for you.”  _

Yukhei lifted his hand from his face and let Renjun grasp onto his chin. Renjun pulled his wand as he tilted Yukhei’s head to get the right angle. 

_ “Episkey,” _ Renjun mumbled and Yukhei breathed out a sigh of relief when the dull, pounding pain in his nose disappeared. 

_ “You might get a headache later, if that’s the case talk to Jungwoo. He knows a counterspell.”  _

Yukhei did too, but he didn’t really care about that at the moment. _ “Are you okay?”  _

For a moment, Renjun looked like he might cry but then he was shaking his head, his emotions disappearing behind a carefully crafted mask.  _ “I’m fine.”  _

Yukhei pretended to believe the smile on his face and let Renjun help him to his feet. He felt a little dizzy standing up, but he made it to the door okay when Renjun helped him the first couple of steps. At the door, they turned around to wait for Jeno and Donghyuck. 

Yukhei was surprised to find them standing in front of each other, Donghyuck looking hesitant as Jeno pulled his wand. Against the snowstorm still going on outside, it was impossible to understand their hushed conversation, but Yukhei could read Jeno’s name on Donghyuck’s lips, pleading.

A low gasp escaped Yukhei when Jeno ran the tip of his wand along the length of his palm and blood welled up from the cut, dripped onto the floor between them. Donghyuck’s eyes widened and he moved to shake his head, but Jeno’s expression remained grim, unwavering until Donghyuck seemed to give in and pressed his palm against his bleeding one. 

_ “What is he doing?”  _ Yukhei asked, feeling his stomach turn. 

_ “He is making a bargain.” _ Renjun sounded pained. 

_ “A bargain?” _

_ “Jeno paid with blood, so now Donghyuck will do what he asks of him.”  _

Yukhei’s eyes widened. _ “What?”  _

Renjun’s smile was mirthless as he looked at Yukhei. _ “To us Slytherin, blood has value. It means loyalty. It is not easily given and because of that, it binds us.”  _

_ “But why would Jeno _ —” Yukhei cut himself short. He already knew the answer. 

Renjun hummed.  _ “Now Donghyuck  _ _ will take care of Jaemin.”  _

_ “But wouldn’t he have done that anyways?”  _

Renjun smiled and this time, he didn’t manage to hide the heartbreak in his eyes. _ “It will take a little more than that.” _

Yukhei furrowed his brows.  _ “What do you mean by that?”  _

_ “Jaemin’s parents are addicts, Lucas, and before Jeno’s parents managed to take Jaemin away from them, they made Jaemin one too. He’s not allowed to drink, but he did it anyways and now he’s going to suffer for it.” _

_ “But _ —” Yukhei thought of Jaemin’s ever-lasting smile. “ _ But Jaemin will be fine, right?” _

_ “Of course.”  _ For the first time, Yukhei saw something akin to consolation on Renjun’s face.  _ “Donghyuck will make it right. He always does.”  _

Yukhei nodded, clinging to that hope as he laid an arm around Renjun’s shoulder, feeling his heart flutter happily when Renjun held onto his arm.  _ You’d have a friend in him if no one else,  _ Yuta’s father had said about Renjun. Yukhei wanted to do the same for him. _ “I’m really sorry, Renjun.” _

Renjun shrugged.  _ “Jaemin needs Jeno. He needs Jeno more than he could ever hate Jeno or me. He’ll come around. It might take some time, but he will.”  _

Yukhei nodded, accepting that. When Jeno and Donghyuck walked over to them, he offered Jeno the spot under his other arm. Jeno smiled as he accepted Yukhei’s offer and Yukhei promptly used the opportunity to squeeze the merry life out of him. Yukhei wouldn’t have wanted either of his friends to be sad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: drug abuse, child neglect.  
>   
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	17. The Werewolf

Yukhei was halfway through his second plate of breakfast when Jeno and Renjun sat down at the Hufflepuff table. He smiled at them, pushing the bread basket closer to Jeno when he noticed the dark circles under Jeno’s eyes, the tense set to Renjun’s shoulders. He tried not to show how worried he was, knowing that it would have only added to the weight on both of his friends’ shoulders.

“Morning,” Jungwoo chirped, doing a better job than Yukhei at masking his worry. “How did you sleep?”

“Okay.” Jeno’s tired smile belied his words. 

Renjun yawned. “I’ll tell you when I get to it.”

“Renjun!”

“What?” Renjun glared at Jungwoo. “Trust me, I would have liked to get some sleep last night, but unfortunately Donghyuck has surrendered his bed to Jaemin and it’s kind of hard to get a full eight hours when you have to listen to your bed neighbour throw up every two hours.”

Yukhei’s eyes widened as he listened to Renjun’s words, his gaze flicking over to the Slytherin table where the rest of their friends sat. Jaemin was in their middle and where Jeno and Renjun looked tired, Jaemin looked downright miserable. Even from across the Great Hall, Yukhei could see that Jaemin’s eyes were just as bloodshot as they had been the day before, with an added shadow of exhaustion pressed underneath. There was a quiver to his every moment. It didn’t keep Jaemin from trying to shrug off the hand Donghyuck kept on his back. No matter how far Jaemin tried to move away, Donghyuck seemed to follow.

Yukhei only averted his gaze when Jungwoo cleared his throat. “Come back to the Hufflepuff common room with me after breakfast. I can give you some herbs to chew on. They will help you sleep.”

“It’s fine.” Renjun shrugged. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Jeno shot him a look before turning back towards Jungwoo. “He’ll come with you.”

Renjun huffed at that, but didn’t argue any further. He did look terribly tired and Yukhei was surprised that he hadn’t dropped off right into his oatmeal by the time they finished breakfast.

Yukhei’s thoughts were with the assignment he had scrambled to finish the night before as he followed his friends out of the Great Hall and so he didn’t notice how terrible their timing was until Jungwoo, walking in front of him, suddenly stopped. Yukhei bumped into him before Renjun could steady him while Jeno, who had been walking next to Jungwoo, was standing stock-still. Confused, Yukhei followed Jeno’s line of vision. His heart seized at the sight of Jaemin standing in the middle of the entrance hall, Donghyuck hovering a step behind him. 

Yukhei had been worried when he had seen Jaemin storm out of the Great Hall shortly after Renjun and Jeno had arrived, a hand clasped over his mouth and Donghyuck doing his best to shield him from the curious gazes of the other Slytherin. Up close, Jaemin looked even worse than from afar. He looked almost as pale as Chenle, sweat glistening on his temple despite the freezing temperatures outside.

It was obvious that he had been waiting for them.

“Jaemin!” Jeno hurried forward. “You should be in bed! What are you doing here?”

“Jeno.” Jaemin smiled, red seeping from the tears in his lips where the dry skin had cracked open. “We have class, or did you forget?”

Jeno’s eyes widened in surprise. “You—”

Jaemin cut him off, tilting his head to the side before he nodded in the direction they had been walking. “You weren’t going to skip, were you? That’s the way to the Hufflepuff dorm.” 

This time, his expression was openly distasteful as his gaze flickered over to Renjun and them back to Jeno. “What, was yesterday not enough for you? You need to get it on before class too to make it through the day?”

Yukhei tried to catch onto the back of Renjun’s robes, but the silky material slipped through his fingers like water and then Renjun was pushing himself past Jeno and Jungwoo, right into Jaemin’s space.

Jaemin was half a head taller than him, but that didn’t keep Renjun from snarling in his face. “What’s your actual problem, Jaemin?”

For the first time, Yukhei saw something akin to pain bleed through the cracks in Jaemin’s façade, real heartbreak. He shook it away with a shake of his head, his face carefully blank as he shrugged Renjun off. “Leave it, Renjun. This is not about you.”

Renjun rolled his eyes. “You’re really so stupid, Nana. Listen here—”

“Renjun!”

Even Yukhei flinched at the unexpected sound of Jeno’s voice, sharper than Yukhei had ever heard it.

“What?” Renjun snapped at Jeno, clearly frustrated. “Just let me tell him—”

“No.” Yukhei was surprised at the harshness in Jeno’s voice before his tone softened along with his expression. “No,” he repeated more gently, shaking his head. 

He held out his hand.

Renjun seemed to be seething for another moment before he sighed, the fight leaving his shoulders as he looked at Donghyuck. The two of them exchanged a look, Donghyuck shaking his head minutely. Renjun pressed his lips into a tight line and walked over to Jeno. A tiny smile formed on his lips as their fingers intertwined. 

Jaemin trailed the movement with his eyes. He inhaled through his nose and without taking his eyes off of Jeno and Renjun, he said, “Hey, Donghyuck, please take me to the nearest bathroom. I think I have to vomit again.” 

Donghyuck’s expression behind his shoulder soured, but his hands were gentle as he tugged on Jaemin’s shoulder and slowly pulled him away. 

Once they had disappeared down the stairs that led to the Slytherin dungeon, Yukhei turned his head to find Renjun with his hand on Jeno’s cheek, wiping away the single tear that had escaped the older. 

Renjun’s voice was uncharacteristically soft as he said, “You’re a self-sacrificing bastard, Jeno Lee. I could’ve told him.” 

“No,” Jeno covered Renjun’s hand with his own. “No. Not for me. Not for anyone else.”

Their hands clasped tightly together and Yukhei felt the need to reach out for Jungwoo just the same, but he didn’t want to keep him as Jungwoo approached their friends to help Renjun wipe the tears from Jeno’s cheek. 

It made Jeno laugh, all the attention on him and Yukhei smiled. He kept a step back as they all moved towards the stairs that led to the Hufflepuff basement, making sure that none of his friends tripped in their insistence to hold onto each other as they walked down the steps. 

*

Yukhei liked Professor Minseok. He liked Defence Against The Dark Arts. It was one of the few subjects where he had only needed little time to adjust. The practice of duelling was familiar to him and the theory-based lessons were interesting enough to keep Yukhei engaged even when his brain had to work over-time translating and processing the topics at the same time. He liked Professor Minseok.

This afternoon, he wished he had had another teacher.

Most of the words on the blackboard were unfamiliar to him, but he recognised the one written at the very top of the list, right under the header announcing today’s topic. 

_ Werewolfry _

Having joined the class a good month after the school year had started, Yukhei had been assigned a lone table in the back row. Right now he was glad to have an excuse to separate from Jungwoo and Mark at the door. With no one else paying attention to him as he sat down, he wiped his sweaty palms on his thighs. 

“Right, everyone, settle down!” 

Despite Professor Minseok’s smaller stature, the teacher commanded the room with ease, wiping his chalk-stained fingers on the front of his vest. 

“As you can see on the blackboard, we’re moving on to another theory-based unit. As part of your final evaluation, I will ask you to complete a more extensive research project than just your average one foot homework assignment.

Professor Minseok’s smile was sparkling as he moved through the rows, seemingly immune to the unanimous groaning and complaints rising in the air. 

"You can pick whatever research topic you'd like from the list, but of course I'd appreciate it if we didn't have to hear about ghouls five times in a row. Sort yourselves into groups of three and then you may go to the library to start your research."

Yukhei was still too busy forcing his erratically beating heartbeat to calm that he didn’t notice that the two Ravenclaw girls sitting in front of him had turned around until one of them ran her black-painted nails across the edge of his table. 

She shot Yukhei a bright smile when he looked up at her, the other inside him tearing at his insides. "Lucas, do you want to work with us?"

"He's already in a group with Mark and I.” Jungwoo’s voice was icy as he sat down on the empty chair next to Yukhei, his arm falling over Yukhei’s shoulder. “Right, Lucas?” 

Yukhei blinked, feeling a little dazzled by the sweetness of Jungwoo’s smile, Jungwoo’s nails pressing into his shoulder. 

"Sorry," he told the girls. "My friends. I work with them."

Out of the corner of his eye, Yukhei could see Mark hide a smile behind his hand. The girl that had asked pouted while the other huffed. They both seemed to be placated when Mark smiled at them, spending the next couple of minutes helping them choose a topic before they settled on the hippogriff. On the blackboard, a tick of chalk appeared next to the hippogriff entry on the list. Yukhei watched the interaction with fascination, marvelling at the ease with which Mark charmed his housemates when he was usually more reserved among their group of friends. 

Yukhei was distracted by fingertips trailing along his nape, carding through the tips of his hair. Jungwoo’s face was too close to his when he turned his head. Yukhei had to look down his nose to see the pout on Jungwoo’s lips before it disappeared into another smile. “Do you have an idea for a topic, Lucas?” 

Yukhei’s heart sank. He looked at the blackboard as if his eyes would have been able to focus on any other word except for the one describing his secret. 

He cleared his throat, answering slowly as not to let any of the nervousness bleed into his voice. “I don’t know. You choose.” 

Jungwoo hummed before he kicked out his leg from under the table to kick Mark in the calf. Mark ended his conversation with the Ravenclaw girls with a smile before he turned around, flicking Jungwoo on the head with a frown. 

“What?” 

Jungwoo rubbed his forehead with a pout, but the twinkle in his eyes was bright. “We have to decide on a topic.”

Mark pushed up his glasses to squint at the blackboard up front, "Huh, most are already taken. I don’t mind, really. Looks like it’s between werewolves and pixies for us. Should we do the werewolf? No one else seems to be doing that one yet.” 

“Fine with me,” Jungwoo chirped. 

Yukhei tried hard not to look like he was going to throw up when his friends looked at him. “Lucas?” 

His mouth was dry. He masked it with a cough. “Yes. Okay.” 

“Good, that’s settled then!” 

Mark beamed, both he and Jungwoo getting up to retrieve their book bags from their table in the front. Yukhei stared at the chalk tick that had appeared next to  _ werewolfry _ on the blackboard. He noticed Professor Minseok looking at him from where he was standing at his desk, his eyebrows ticked down in concern. 

He knew about Yukhei. All the teachers knew. 

Yukhei plastered a smile onto his face, shaking his head to shake away the worry in the teacher’s eyes. He wouldn’t have wanted the professor to worry. 

“Merlin,” Mark said as they stepped out into the hallway. “It feels like doing something forbidden, being out of class like this.” 

“We’re literally going to the library, Mark.”

“I’m just saying!” 

Mark and Jungwoo bickered as they walked down the halls and Yukhei was grateful because it meant neither of them noticed his silence, not until they had passed through the high, wooden doors. 

“Lucas?” Jungwoo took his hand while Mark talked to Mr Zhang at the librarian’s desk. “Are you worried because it’s a written assignment? Don’t worry!” 

“Yeah, dude, don’t worry!” Mark pushed up his glasses as he returned to them. “We’ll help you.” 

Yukhei smiled at his friends. He tried to focus on how kind they were to him and not how guilty he felt for it. “Thank you.” 

Mark patted him on the shoulder, beckoning them to follow him into the seemingly endless array of aisles. “Mr Zhang said what we need is at the very back, in the restricted section.” 

“And he gave you a key?” 

Mark’s smile was mischievous in a way that Yukhei usually only saw on Donghyuck. “I was a prefect before I left for Ilvermorny, remember?” 

Jungwoo laughed, a skip to his step as he followed after Mark, pulling Yukhei along by their joint hands. 

The restricted section of the library sent a shiver down Yukhei’s spine, too many of the books whispering in his ear as he walked past. They called out for him to pull them off the shelf if he was willing to sacrifice a finger or two for the secrets they held inside. 

Jungwoo’s hand in his was a grounding weight and when the dark whispers became too much, he distracted himself by looking at Jungwoo instead. It was always easy to fall into Jungwoo’s presence, admire the way the light falling in through the stained glass windows cast multi-coloured shadows onto his face. 

Jungwoo was so beautiful it silenced all other sounds. 

Jungwoo smiled at him, handing him the books Mark was pulling off the shelf one after the other and Yukhei was happy to carry them as they moved along the shelf labeled  _ Bitten Beasts & Nocturnal Creatures.  _

He was even happier when they left the restricted section, arms full of books that they stacked high on their table. 

“All right.” Mark settled into his seat. “I think for starters it’s okay if we just each grab a book off the pile and see what general information we can find. If anyone finds anything interesting, just write it down and we’ll look at it more closely later on.” 

Feeling his stomach churn, Yukhei nodded at Mark’s words, picking a book off the stack closest to him. He bit down on the inside of his cheek as he opened its midnight blue cover. 

He was relieved to find no gruesome drawings inside. Instead, there were a lot of maps and what seemed to be records of werewolf cases distributed across the land. 

That was okay. He could deal with that. 

They sat in comfortable silence as they read, the rustling of paper and occasional whispers of the groups working around them creating a soothing kind of background noise. Yukhei had been studying the maps in his book for about ten minutes when Mark’s voice made him look up. 

“Oh, Merlin.” Mark’s eyebrows were furrowed where he was perched over a tome bound in black leather, his finger placed on the middle of the page. “Guys, listen to this, it’s from Marlowe Fang’s encyclopedia, “...but one of the most terrible afflictions that can befall a wizard might be the bite of the lycanthrope, the werewolf which is rarely born but often the unhuman form of another wizard infected with the rabid sickness of the moon.’”

Yukhei felt something like bile rise in his throat. 

Mark read on, “‘When caught in its ban, a werewolf will only aim to kill. It will not differentiate between friend and foe. It will not distinguish between muggle or wizard. Only the latter might have a chance at survival given the wounds inflicted by the beast are sealed with silver and dittany. Though, what awaits after can only be considered worse than the fate of death.’”

Yukhei’s hands cramped around his thighs. 

“‘Monthly transformations will leave the werewolf out of his mind, a beast that will no longer remember that it was man, but a mindless hunter eager to tear its victims limb from limb. There is no cure.’” 

“That sounds terrible.” Jungwoo’s face was full of sympathy as he tried to take a peek into Mark’s book. 

Mark hummed. “It is. I mean, of course, objectively speaking it does have its perks.” He pushed up his glasses. “Apart from the, uh, monthly affliction and the bloodlust, it also says that werewolves are more resistant to their surroundings. They’re unaffected by weather changes as well as that they are less likely to be affected by actual magic. A werewolf would be immune to your charms, for example.”

Mark’s eyes flicked across the page before he reached its end. “It says that in wolf form, they can only be killed by decapitation or silver.” 

Jungwoo shook his head. “How gruesome.” 

Mark nodded. “It’s pretty dark. Maybe we can find a source with… lighter wording.” 

The both of them moved to peruse the books around them and Yukhei used the opportunity to pull Mark’s book towards him, flip it on its head so he could read the page Mark had cited from. He skimmed the writing before he looked at the drawings filling the corners of the page. 

There were graphic illustrations, stylized wolves with their snouts ripped open, fangs dripping blood over the page. They snapped at Yukhei’s fingers as he ran his fingers over the ink. He tried to see himself in the drawings, tried to align the gruesome image on the page with what he had become, but he couldn’t. 

It wasn’t him. He wasn’t a monster. Only when the moon was full. Only then. 

Blinking rapidly, he closed the book with a thud and covered it with his own, counting the dots on the map until he felt a little less likely to throw up. 

Outside of the window, the afternoon sun was sinking, the sky darkening rapidly. 

*

Yukhei had been asleep for less than a couple of minutes when he felt the air move as the curtain on the right side of his bed was drawn and a hand squeezed his shoulder, causing him to jerk upwards. 

He rubbed his eyes against the darkness, relaxing when he saw that it was Jungwoo. 

“Woo!” Yukhei withstood the urge to sink back into bed. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Jungwoo shook his head, his eyes glittering. “Do you want to have some hot chocolate with me?” 

Yukhei frowned, peering at the frog-shaped alarm clock on his bedside table that Chenle had given him on Halloween. “Now? It’s after midnight.” 

“I like it better after midnight. It tastes sweeter. Will you come?” 

There was nothing that could have kept Yukhei from giving in to Jungwoo’s sweet smile, his body sliding out of bed before his brain could catch up. 

Mindlessly, he grabbed his wand from the bedside table and threw a handful of seeds into the birdcage standing in its center. The flycatcher he had transfigured for Professor Hani was sleeping soundly on its peg and he tried not to rouse it as he stumbled after Jungwoo. 

The Hufflepuff common room was empty this far after midnight, the crackling warmth of the fireplace greeting him as Jungwoo pushed him down on the sofa right in front of the fire. 

“Wait here,” Jungwoo’s smile was enchanting. “Don’t move!” he called over his shoulder as he skipped towards the door and disappeared through the barrel door. 

Yukhei felt a little dumbfounded, but made himself comfortable on the sofa, watching the fire crackle. His eyes were threatening to slip shut when the door to the common room opened once more and Jungwoo came in with two steaming mugs in hand. 

He placed them on the coffee table before he joined Yukhei on the sofa, they’re legs tangling as they sat with their backs against the arm rests. Yukhei happily accepted the mug Jungwoo handed him, the delicious smell of hot cocoa wafting into his nose. 

“Wait!” Jungwoo called out when Yukhei wanted to take a sip and he froze with his mug halfway to his mouth. “The best thing’s still missing!”

Jungwoo giggled as he reached into the front pocket of his pyjama shirt and procured a small paper bag. Yukhei tried not to stare at the stretch of skin where Jungwoo’s pyjamas slipped to one side, nearly revealing his shoulder. 

Jungwoo opened the paper bag and shook half of its contents into Yukhei’s mug. “It’s not a good hot chocolate without mini marshmallows! Now you can try.” 

Yukhei watched the pastel pink puffs float around his mug before he took a curious sip. The cocoa was so hot it nearly burned his tongue, but it did nothing to take away from the delicious sweetness that melted onto his tongue, filling his belly with warm fuzziness. 

“Good.” He took another sip, trying to catch more of the marshmallows in his mouth. “Very good.” 

Jungwoo looked pleased as he settled back against his arm rest and picked up his own mug. “I’m glad you like it.”

They both watched the fire as they drank. Yukhei felt fuzzy inside and out with the fire warming his skin, the taste of hot chocolate on his tongue and Jungwoo’s calf pressed against his thigh. 

“Lucas?” 

“Mhm?” Yukhei looked at Jungwoo to find worry on his face. Alarmed, he sat up. “What’s wrong?” 

Jungwoo shook his head. “Nothing.” He looked down at his mug. “I just wanted to ask whether you were unhappy that I asked you to be in a group with Mark and I.” 

Yukhei’s eyes widened. “What?”

Jungwoo’s smile was brittle as he looked up at Yukhei. “You didn’t seem very happy today in the library and I just—I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable because of me. If you’d rather want to work with the girls then I understand! I’m sure if you’d ask Mark to talk to them they would still work with you!” 

“Jungwoo.” 

Jungwoo winced. “Yes?” 

Yukhei smiled as he set down his mug and caught onto Jungwoo’s hand that had nervously been playing with the collar of his pyjama shirt. “I want to work with you. I want…” He took a deep breath. “I want to do everything with you.” 

“Sorry,” he smoothed over his confession before it could lead Jungwoo to freak out again. “I’ve thought today.” He tapped his temple. “Many thoughts, but nothing bad about you. Never.” 

“Oh.” Jungwoo’s eyes were glittering as he looked down, squeezing Yukhei’s hand. “I’m sorry, I just thought—”

“It’s okay.” Yukhei brushed his thumb over the back of Jungwoo’s hand. 

They locked eyes and Yukhei smiled, watching the way Jungwoo’s cheeks turned pink with the heat of the fire and the corners of his mouth tilted upwards. Yukhei didn’t say the words lingering in his mind, always placing themselves on his tongue when he looked at Jungwoo. 

The expression in Jungwoo’s eyes told him that Jungwoo knew. He kept holding Yukhei’s hand and Yukhei used his left to pick his mug back up, savouring his hot chocolate in small sips. 

It was by the time his mug was empty and cold that he asked, “Jungwoo?” 

Jungwoo was smiling even before he looked up from his own mug. “Yes?”

“What’s a self-sacrificing bastard?”

Jungwoo frowned. “Why are you asking?”

Yukhei shrugged. “I heard it today and I don’t know what it is. Please, explain to me.”

Jungwoo’s expression softened at the earnest curiosity in Yukhei’s eyes. He thought for a moment before answering, “Someone who is self-sacrificing is someone who does what is best for others even if it means that they themselves will be hurt. It’s like being selfless, but in a bad way.”

Now it was on Yukhei to frown. “Why bad?”

“Because the one that’s self-sacrificing might get hurt too badly. It’s not worth it.”

Yukhei mulled that over for a moment. He thought about Jeno and the way he had looked at Renjun, had looked at Jaemin. He thought about a scream piercing enough to rouse the birds from the trees and how it had never been a question, to let it be himself instead of Kunhang. “Maybe it’s worth it if you love someone.”

Jungwoo hesitated a moment, swishing the last of his hot chocolate around in his cup. Behind the brown in his eyes, Yukhei could see the purple glow. “Yes, maybe if you love someone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [AWOLNATION VOICE] I'ma make a deal with the bad wolf, he's a bad wolf, don't fight no more!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
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> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
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> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	18. Blind Man's Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, we've broken a 100,000 words on this story and I can't tell you enough how thankful I am to you if you have made it this far. This chapter is one of my absolute favourites and I hope you come to love it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Yukhei was immune to the cold, but even so he caught himself shivering as they stepped out of the castle. The ground was frozen solid, fat flakes of snow falling from the sky to catch in his hair and kiss his cheeks. 

“Careful,” Jungwoo laughed in his ear as they trodded down the frozen path that led away from the castle. “Don’t slip.” 

“I won’t.” Yukhei smiled into the cold night’s air. The waning moon stood high in the sky, humming under his skin, but with Jungwoo’s hand in his, he was grounded. 

The frozen grass caught the light of Jeno’s wand where he was walking in front of them, causing the blades to glitter as they walked steadily towards the dark line of trees on the other side of the field. Yukhei knew that what they were doing was forbidden, leaving the castle this late at night, but he couldn’t quite help the thrill of excitement he felt. 

When Jungwoo had woken him up in the middle of the night, Yukhei had thought that they were going to the common room to have hot chocolate like they had done the week before, but then Jungwoo had told him to bundle up in his warmest clothes and lead him out into the Hufflepuff common room where Jeno had been waiting, looking puffy in his layered sweaters and winter cloak. 

Yukhei’s second guess had been that Yuqi had scheduled an illegal night training session for the Hufflepuff team, but then they had picked up Yangyang and the twins in the Great Hall and that had left Yukhei clueless. With Chenle’s happy chatter in his ear and Jungwoo holding his hand in the dark, he didn’t mind though. 

The temperature seemed to drop another couple degrees as they entered the Forbidden Forest, the canopy filtering the moonlight coming from above and leaving them at the mercy of Jeno’s wand light. Yukhei pulled his own wand when Jungwoo did and could hear Chenle and Jisung behind them do the same. 

“It’s not far,” Yangyang said from the back. “Donghyuck marked the way with pixie dust. Look at the trees!” 

“I see it!” Chenle called out and brandished his wand at a smear of shimmering dust drawn onto the trunk of a nearby tree. 

Jeno pivoted to lead them in that direction and Yukhei made sure not to stumble over any roots as he followed. Jungwoo pressed into his side as they climbed over a fallen trunk and together they helped first Chenle and then Yangyang to overcome the hurdle. Jisung with his longer limbs didn’t need their help, but still grinned when Yukhei caught him on his way down the trunk. 

“It’s so spooky,” Chenle whispered as he raised his wand higher to shed light on their surroundings. 

“I’ll protect you.” Jisung puffed out his chest. 

Chenle grinned at him and skipped over to where Jeno had found the next marking. Jisung stayed right beside him like he had promised. 

Yukhei turned his head to look at Jungwoo. “Are you scared?” 

Jungwoo smiled at him, his eyes glittering in the light of their wands. “If I say yes, will you promise to protect me too?” 

“Yes.” Yukhei puffed out his chest much like Jisung had done, savouring the way it made Jungwoo laugh. He loved it when Jungwoo laughed and he loved it even more when he was the one who was responsible for it. 

Jungwoo leaned into him, his face close enough that Yukhei could feel Jungwoo’s breath ghost over his lips, but then the moment was broken by the sound of Yangyang gagging behind them. 

“Come on, you two!” He pushed past them. “We can’t get lost.” His smile was sharp as he looked over his shoulder. “There are monsters in these woods.” 

_So am I,_ Yukhei thought, but only smiled as he made an effort not to fall behind any further. He had thought that it might stress him out more, setting foot into a real forest again, but he found that he felt calm. All the fond childhood memories he had of chasing Kunhang and Dejun through the woods at home seemed to outweigh his jagged memory of the night the forest had betrayed him. 

He was not afraid as he followed his friends into the dark, the other in him quiet. 

They walked and stumbled and slid further into the forest until Jeno brought them to a halt, their ragged breathing filling the quiet until there was the distinct sound of voices in the distance and Yangyang took the lead to break them out of the last line of trees. 

Yukhei felt it the moment the moonlight hit his skin once more, humming in his blood as he followed his friends to the middle of the clearing where Donghyuck, Mark, Jaemin and Renjun were waiting for them. They looked solemn where they were all gathered around the large stone that sat in the middle of the field. The stone was shaped like an oval and about the height of Yukhei’s hip.

Jaemin was standing with his back to them, his arms crossed behind his back, his eyes following Donghyuck’s every move as Donghyuck drew patterns onto the stone’s ragged surface with a butter yellow powder. 

“We can leave if you need to,” Yukhei could hear Mark murmur to Jaemin as he passed them. “No one will be mad if you need to leave.” 

“No.” Jaemin’s voice was stoic as his gaze flickered up, his expression darkening as he watched Renjun smile at Jeno in greeting. “I’m fine.” 

“If you say so.” 

Jaemin’s gaze returned to Donghyuck’s yellow-stained fingers. “I say so.” 

Mark didn’t look very convinced and Yukhei wanted to catch his gaze, see if he could help somehow but then Donghyuck was speaking and Jungwoo was pulling him to stand next to him in the circle they had formed. 

“Finally,” Donghyuck said. “I thought you’d gotten lost. What took you so long?”

“You said not to use the actual path.” Yangyang shrugged as he sidled up next to him. “So we had to make our own way through the thicket. Merlin’s beard, is this real?” He picked up a small, vitreous bottle from the pile of stuff sitting by Donghyuck’s feet. 

Donghyuck snatched it out of his hand. “Yes, and it was very expensive, so don’t drop it.” 

Chenle’s giggle took the tension out of the air, visibly took some of the tension out of Donghyuck’s shoulders. Yukhei wondered what had put it there. He hadn’t seen Donghyuck this high-strung since he had last been Mark-less and Mark was right there, next to Donghyuck even if his attention was still on Jaemin. 

The entire ordeal confused him and he seemed to be the only one that was unaware of what was going on. Jungwoo was busy keeping Jisung from touching the yellow markings Donghyuck had drawn on the stone, so he turned towards Renjun on his other side. 

“Renjun,” he called out quietly, willing to wait until Renjun was done tugging on the strings of Jeno’s bumblebee-striped beanie. 

Renjun’s eyes were glittering as he looked at Yukhei. “Yes?” 

Yukhei nodded at the stone. “What is it?” 

“Oh.” Renjun shrugged, clearly less impressed by the sight in front of him than he had been with Jeno’s retelling of their way over. “It’s an incantation.” 

Yukhei’s eyes widened. “Demons?”

Renjun snorted. “Obviously not. What would we do with a demon? They’re a pest to get rid of. No, it’s just a spell, but…” He switched tongues. “ _It’s dark magic.”_

Yukhei furrowed his brows. _“Dark magic?”_

The corner of Renjun’s lips twitched in a smile. _“They forbid it here. It’s a powerful spell. Too powerful to be riskless. Perfect, but dangerous. Dangerous, but necessary.”_

Yukhei’s brain felt as if someone had tied it into a knot. Talking to Renjun had done little to untangle the confusion he felt _. “Okay?”_

Renjun laughed, patting his shoulder. _“Don’t worry. Mark and Donghyuck will do the spell together, and there is no one better at Charms than Mark. It’ll be fine.”_

 _“Mark breaks the rules?”_ Amongst all the things that Renjun had just told him, this detail maybe confused Yukhei the most. 

Renjun snorted. _“You underestimate how much Mark loves Donghyuck. Historically speaking, if you want to get a Ravenclaw prefect to break the rules, you have to make their Slytherin boy do something so stupid they have to step in. Donghyuck wanted to do it alone, but Mark wouldn’t let him. He worries too much, the over-concerned bastard.”_

“Renjun,” Donghyuck called out in that moment. “Can you help me out?” 

Renjun sighed. “Sure!” 

Yukhei watched him stalk over and help Donghyuck pour the purple liquid from the bottle Yangyang had picked up earlier into the empty spaces between the yellow markings. 

“What did you and Renjun talk about?” Wherever Yukhei’s train of thought might have taken him, it was redirected when he felt Jungwoo’s gloved hand against his cheek, turning his head. 

Yukhei smiled. “I asked what it is.” He tilted his head towards the stone, Jungwoo’s hand staying on his cheek. 

Jungwoo followed his gaze and retracted his hand slowly, grasped onto Yukhei’s hands instead. “Lucas?”

He nodded. He was Lucas. 

Jungwoo’s smile was shaky. “Can you promise me something?” 

“Of course.” 

“Don’t let tonight change anything.” 

“Huh?” Yukhei furrowed his brows. 

“All right.” Donghyuck clapping his hands together to rid them of any remnants of butter yellow powder diverted their attention back to what was happening in front of them. 

The markings on the stone had turned out more intricate than Yukhei had expected, some of the purple liquid running down the sides of the stone. Donghyuck had placed several other ingredients in the middle of the stone, their burning remnants sending acrid, yellow smoke into the air. 

It made Yukhei’s nose twitch when he breathed in and with watering eyes he watched as Donghyuck looked at Mark, who took his hand. The air around them turned solemn, grim with an expectation Yukhei did not understand. With all of his friends around him, he was not afraid, but he still found comfort in the weight of his wand in his pocket. 

He felt Jungwoo pull his hand out of his as Mark and Donghyuck raised their wands. When they spoke, they spoke in perfect unison, _“Caecus Lucis.”_

Yukhei watched with bated breath as the tips of their wands sent off twin flashes of bright yellow and the markings on the stone began to glow. The purple liquid in between began to shimmer and sizzle and then Yukhei was blinded by a flash of light that cast the entire clearing in white, shadowless light. 

He felt it when the spell passed through him, warmth searing his skin and setting his bones alight. 

It caused him to stumble, the heat of the blast pushing against his chest. The light vanished as abruptly as it had begun and Yukhei needed several seconds to regain his vision. When he did, he saw that the smoke in the air had dissipated and was replaced with steam rising up from where the spell had seared into the stone. Drips of molten rock were falling into the snow. 

“Donghyuck!” Jeno called out. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine.” It looked like Donghyuck had fallen with the force of the blast, but he shook off the hands Mark and Yangyang reached out for him. His gaze flickered back and forth to check on each of them before it settled to Yukhei’s right, and then a smile lit up his face. “It worked.” 

Yukhei turned his head to the right and felt his breath catch in his throat. 

He had caught flashes of Jungwoo’s veela form here and there, but seeing it unfold was a different experience. 

Jungwoo’s hair seemed to move as if underwater, the silver strands glowing in the moonlight, contrasting with his beautiful skin. His eyes were gleaming bright purple, seeking out Yukhei’s gaze, before they were swallowed up by black, his veins protruding grey. Jungwoo’s mouth fell open to reveal teeth that looked sharper than before, sharp enough to tear a man’s heart from his chest. He looked terrifying and beautiful and Yukhei had never been more mesmerised by someone in his entire life. Instinctively, he took a step forward, reaching out a hand. 

It was pain that made him falter in his steps, sizzling up his spine and spreading into every of his bones. His lungs constricted and he gasped as he went down, his knees hitting the ground hard. 

From too far away, he could hear his friends scream his name, but it was all drowned out by the blood rushing in his ears, the roaring of the other in his chest. It was too loud. Yukhei hunched in on himself and clasped his hands over his ears, but he couldn’t drown it out, couldn’t drown out the terribly familiar moon song reverberating in his bones. 

Disbelieving, he raised his head towards the sky. It couldn’t be. There was no full moon in sight. The moon was waning and yet he could feel as the moonlight set off the cruelly familiar shift in his bones. His throat constricted. _Perfect but dangerous,_ Renjun’s voice echoed in his mind, _dangerous but necessary._

A scream escaped him as pain made his muscles contract once more and through the golden mist that was rapidly clouding his vision, he could see Jungwoo’s eyes fading back into their natural purple colour, shock-wide with panic. 

He turned his head to see the rest of their friends look at him with the same shock and confusion on their face. It didn’t stop his transformation. He was turning, he was turning with his friends right there, too close to him, too close… 

With his vision blurring and darkness tugging on the edges as the other took over, he dug his hands into the earth and pushed himself away from them. The harsh contraction of his muscles caused him to fall onto his side, and he screamed. _Be scared,_ he pleaded. _Be scared and run from me._

 _“Lucas!”_ Jungwoo rushed towards him but he was caught around the waist by Mark. 

“Jungwoo! Stop! Can’t you see?” Mark looked like he was disbelieving of his own words, yet the truth of them was deafening as he told his friends, “He’s a werewolf! Lucas is a werewolf!” 

*

“No!” Jungwoo’s nails were still sharp as claws as they dug into his underarm, struggling against the grip Mark kept around his waist. “Let me go!” 

“I can’t!” Mark couldn’t. 

The magnitude of what they had done, what the revelation spell had dragged to light, had not yet settled into his bones, but it was enough to make panic rise in his chest. He was thankful when Renjun appeared on Jungwoo’s other side, helping Mark to drag Jungwoo away from where Lucas was writhing on the ground. The screams that escaped their friend were ear-splitting, accompanied by the chilling sound of bones shifting. 

_Time,_ the thought pressed itself to the forefront of Mark’s mind, _we don’t have time._

Mark could tell that the realisaiton hadn’t yet settled in with his friends, their faces slack with shock, their bodies unmoving. Panic seizing his guts, he met Donghyuck’s eyes. It only took Donghyuck a heartbeat, but then he was grabbing Yangyang closest to him and pushed him in the direction of the trees. 

“Run!” he yelled, the unusual harshness of his voice seemingly, thankfully startling the rest of their friends into motion. “We have to run!”

Yangyang stumbled on his way, but managed to grab Chenle and Jisung by their arms and drag them with him. Jaemin was right behind them, pulling Jeno along by his sleeve. 

“Lucas!” Jungwoo’s cries were only answered by the terrifying sound of Lucas growling. 

“Jungwoo!” Donghyuck grabbed onto the hood of his cloak to keep him back. “We have to run!” 

“No! Can’t you hear him? He’s in pain!” The desperation in Jungwoo’s voice was almost enough to make Mark stop in his attempt to help pull Jungwoo away. 

It didn’t seem to have the same effect on Donghyuck, his voice breathless with fear-induced anger as pushed against Jungwoo’s chest. “He doesn’t even know you anymore! Didn’t you hear what Mark said? He’s a werewolf! He’ll tear you flesh from bone the second you get too close to him!”

Another scream echoed across the clearing. 

“He needs help! I have to help him!” Tears welled up in Jungwoo’s eyes, but his smile was sickly sweet as he looked at Mark and Mark felt the edges of his mind grow fuzzy, his eyes falling to Jungwoo’s lips to take in every of his words. “Let me go, Mark. You know you want to let go of me.” 

Mark’s jaw fell slack as his grip loosened and Jungwoo looked triumphant. His head flew to the side when Donghyuck’s palm connected with his cheek. The sharp sound of the slap dimmed the bright purple in Jungwoo’s eyes, breaking the effect of his charms. 

Donghyuck didn’t give Jungwoo any time to recuperate before he was pushing against his chest, shoving him mercilessly in the direction of the trees. “He’s not Lucas anymore, Woo! The revelation spell brings to light that which is hidden! Lucas hid his lycanthropy, which is why he’s turning into a werewolf now! He’s turning into a werewolf, do you understand that? We have to run! Leave him and run!” 

Jungwoo sobbed, but didn’t fight it when Renjun came and fisted his hand into the back of his cloak, dragging him with him towards the forest. Mark was ready to follow them when he noticed that Donghyuck wasn’t moving. He was watching Lucas transform with wide eyes. 

“Donghyuck!” Mark grabbed onto his wrist. “We have to leave, come on!”

Donghyuck didn’t budge. Mark frowned, tugging harder. “Donghyuck! Didn’t you hear? We have to run!”

Donghyuck slowly turned his head and when their eyes met, Mark found his own fear and guilt mirrored in Donghyuck’s gaze, but there was also determination. “I’m not running, Mark.”

“What?!”

“There’s no chance all of us can outrun him. Someone has to stop him.” Donghyuck squared his shoulders, his wand clasped tightly in his hand. Its tip was still faintly glowing from the revelation spell. “I said I’d fight whatever the spell would bring to light and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Mark’s grip on Donghyuck’s wrist tightened, but he could see in Donghyuck’s eyes that Donghyuck wouldn’t leave. Not when he thought that it was his fault. Not when it meant their friends had a better chance at getting away. Mark felt his eyes prickle with the tears rising in his throat. He didn’t allow them to fall.

“Okay.” He let go of Donghyuck’s wrist to grasp onto his hand, savouring the surprise in Donghyuck’s eyes as he took a stand beside him. “Okay.”

This time, it was on Donghyuck to stare at him with disbelief. “Mark, what are you doing?”

“Facing a werewolf with you.”

“What? No!” Donghyuck pushed against his chest. “You have to run! Go and catch up with the others!”

“No.” Mark shook his head. “I’ve left you once before and that was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m not leaving you, Donghyuck. Never again.”

“Mark—”

Mark silenced him with a kiss before he pressed their foreheads together. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, fear squeezing his insides with an iron grip, but it was not stronger than the love inside his heart. Nothing could keep him from being by Donghyuck’s side.

“I love you, Donghyuck.” He wanted to say it a thousand times, he wanted the time to say it a thousand times, but they were quickly running out. Mark could see fur sprouting along Lucas’ skin as his form grew in size rapidly. “I really do. You stealing my glasses when I was twelve is the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

“You’re an idiot, Mark.” 

Mark grinned.

“I’m scared,” Donghyuck whispered, pressing into him. 

“Me too.” Mark smiled, twirling one of Donghyuck’s auburn locks between his fingers before he pulled his hand away so he could pull his wand. Too close to them, a howl cut through the night, piercing enough to rouse the birds from the trees. “But we fight together. We cast the spell, so we will end it.”

Donghyuck nodded and together they turned to face their friend. “We will end it.” 

*

Jeno thought his lungs might explode as he collapsed against the nearest tree, his legs threatening to give out after sprinting as fast and as far as his body had allowed him to. 

Next to him, Chenle was lying flat on the ground, wheezing as Jisung kneeled by his side, not looking any better. Yangyang was pressed with his back against a tree like Jeno was, holding onto the hood of Jaemin’s cloak as Jaemin threw up behind the tree Yangyang was leaning against. 

In the distance, they could hear the gruesome howl of what had to be Lucas’ new form. 

“How much farther is it?” Jisung panted, his eyes never leaving Chenle’s form. 

“I don’t know.” Jeno hated that he couldn’t give a better answer. “But we have to keep moving.” He pushed himself off his tree even though his legs were still shaking. 

They all tensed when there was the sound of branches breaking, brushwood being crushed before Renjun tumbled onto the path where they had come to a halt, his fingers curled into the sleeve of a crying Jungwoo. 

His eyes were wild as he took them all in and Jeno could see him count in his head. The number he came up with made his features scrunch up. “Fuck, where are they? Why are they not here?”

Jeno approached him with his arms open to calm him down, but he found himself with his arms full of Jungwoo instead. 

“Bastard!” Renjun cursed and then he was off again, quicker than any of them could have held onto him. “Donghyuck! Mark! Where are you?” 

Jeno felt his heart sink. He had run thinking that the rest of their friends were behind him. He had thought all of them had run, but of course Donghyuck hadn’t. The realisation settled like a stone in Jeno’s stomach. Donghyuck had been the one to cast the spell. He would see it as his responsibility to fix it. And if Donghyuck hadn’t left, Mark hadn’t either. 

Jeno set his jaw. “Yangyang!” he whirled around. “Take Jungwoo and the twins to Chanyeol’s hut! It’s closer than the castle!” 

Chenle moaned as he let Jisung help him to his feet. “We’re going to be dead when a teacher finds out.” 

Yangyang grabbed onto his wrist, uncaring of the squeak Jisung let out when he was roughly pulled to his feet. “We’re going to be dead if Lucas gets to us first so come on! To Chanyeol’s hut! Jungwoo!” 

Jungwoo looked desolate as he stumbled after them and Jeno felt a part of his heart break for his friend. Even if Jungwoo might forgive them for taking him from Lucas’ side, he would never forgive himself. All Jeno could do now was to make sure he didn’t meet the same fate. 

He waited until he was sure Yangyang was steering his friends in the right direction before he spun around, ready to run deeper into the forest. He didn’t get very far before he was caught by a hand around his elbow. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

He looked up to meet Jaemin’s unforgiving gaze, a sight so foreign to him that had become so familiar over the past week and a half. Jeno swallowed. 

“I have to go and help them, Jaemin.” He let his voice be soft, let all the love he felt for Jaemin bleed into his voice. If he got hurt, he wanted Jaemin to remember him so. “Please, let me go.” 

Jaemin scowled. “Are you really that blinded by love that you’re willing to throw yourself into the fangs of a werewolf?” 

“It’s not just Renjun.” Jeno gritted his teeth. “It’s Donghyuck and Mark, too. I’m Headboy, Jaemin, I have to help them.”

“You’re stupid, Jeno.” 

Jeno shrugged. “They need me.” 

He could see Jaemin grit his teeth. “Fine!” 

Jeno’s eyes widened as he saw Jaemin shed first his winter cloak and then his gloves, his fingers slipping into his pocket to pull his wand. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Fuck you, Jeno, if you think I’m going to let you run back there alone. I’m coming with you.” 

“What? Jaemin--”

“No.” There was no room for argument in Jaemin’s expression as he looked up. “You must be crazy if you think I’m not letting you do this alone. Renjun already slipped by me and at least I know he will do whatever it takes if he needs to. You’re too damn good for your own good, Jeno. Who is going to protect you out there while you’re busy protecting everybody else? No,” Jaemin shook his head, his tone final, “we’re going back and we’re going to help our friends and then I’m going to kick your ass into next year for making me do this, do you hear?” 

Despite all the fear and desperation he felt, Jeno felt something inside his heart soften. “Jaemin, I--”

“Save it.” Jaemin’s grin was bright and mirthless. When he grabbed onto Jeno’s hand, their fingers intertwined easily, like they always had done. “Tell me in the morning when all this is over.” 

*

Fear wasn’t a familiar emotion to Renjun. When he had grown up, from examining the fish in the lake by their house to his first broom ride, he had always been under his brother’s nervous protection and then, when he had come to Hogwarts and he had come to face his fear of being alone, his friends had been there to save him, to give him another reason to be not feel fear. It had been impossible to feel fear when Donghyuck had known none and Jisung and Chenle had known too much. 

Fear wasn’t a familiar emotion to Renjun. He hated the way it made his heart pound in his chest, his throat constrict as he watched the wolf approach him slowly, the bark of the tree he was pressing himself against digging into his back. 

_Stupid, Dong Renjun,_ he thought to himself, _you’re so stupid._ He should have known that the noise he had heard running back towards the clearing had not been his friends. But the mental image of Donghyuck or Mark being in the same position that he was in right now had been enough to make him careless. A grave mistake. 

Lucas in his werewolf form looked much like a real wolf, if only he was twice the size and his snout was shorter, his eyes too human even if there was no human emotion in them. The wolf bared his fangs as he neared, a terrible snarl ripping from his throat before he laid his head back to howl. 

His brother would have to talk Yuta into adopting a baby, Renjun decided. That would be the only way his mother was going to get over the heartbreak Renjun was about to subject her to. Maybe Sicheng would name the baby after him. 

The thought made Renjun smile. 

He flinched as another howl cut through the night, higher and more of an imitation. His eyes widened. The wolf’s massive head swung around, nostrils flaring to sniff out the source of the sound. A pained yelp escaped the beast when something small and silver lodged itself into his neck. 

It was a bolt, Renjun realised, and whipped his head around to its source. At the edge of the clearing, Donghyuck was standing, eyes alight with determination as he was rapidly pulling the jewellery from his ears, dropping the pieces to the ground before he transfigured them into silver bolts that he shot off with an angry flick of his wand. 

By his side, Mark was swinging his wand with perfect precision and Renjun felt it when the earth moved, the trees by his side creaking before they began to lean further and further until earth splashed high into the air and the trees began to fall. 

Renjun didn’t lose any more time. He took off towards his friends as fast as his legs would carry him, but stumbled when the earth moved once more. He fell hard onto his shoulder, instinctively rolling onto his back. The tree that had stood next to him missed the wolf by a hair’s width, but the tree he had been pressing himself against didn’t. 

Renjun was sure he could hear bones crack as the wolf was buried underneath the mighty trunk of the tree. 

Renjun sat up, staring wide-eyed at what little of the beast he could still see, his hands digging into the quivering earth. 

“Renjun!” 

Confusion unfurled in Renjun’s chest as he heard voices call out for him, but it was neither Donghyuck nor Mark. 

And then Jeno and Jaemin appeared in his field of vision, each of them taking one of his sides. There was relief on their faces, Jaemin’s hand patting him down while Jeno cupped his cheek. 

It was all overshadowed by the deafening crack of the trees being unearthed further and there was a scream lodged in his throat, but he never got to utter it as he saw trees moving and golden glowing eyes and dripping fangs. 

A dozen silver bolts buried themselves in the side of the wolf, but it was already too late. 

*

He woke up naked on the ground, the frozen earth digging into his skin as he turned onto his back. His lungs hurt from the cold, his head pounding and eyes rolling in his skull before he managed to pry them open. The sky was the lightest of greys, dawn breaking over the tops of the trees.

With a groan, he arched his back, coughing at the acrid smoke that filled his lungs. 

A couple of metres to his right, he could see the earth smoke where the molten stone in the middle of the clearing was sizzling, melting the snow around it into steam.

It really must have been an extraordinarily powerful spell that had wreaked havoc on the clearing like this. The trees surrounding it were singed as if struck by a powerful blow, clusters of earth ripped away by paws that had to have been larger than his hands could have ever been. 

The smell of blood was heavy in the air. 

His gaze strayed further, took in the rest of his surroundings until his eyes fell onto a silver glimmer. He smiled when he saw the figure approach him from the other end of the clearing. 

He knew the apparition wasn’t real, its form translucent, flickering in the rising sun. It was merely a figment of his mind, coming to him at last after his barriers had been broken. 

There was a frown on its handsome face as the figure leant down.

“Are you hurt?” 

He bit his lip and shook his head. “Are you mad?” 

Black-inked fingers passed over his face, inspecting him for the injuries he had already denied. “Yes.” A beat of silence in which he said nothing and the figure stared down at him. “What you did was foolish.” 

He pouted. “Can’t you understand why I’ve done it?”

“Oh, I understand perfectly. He’s alive.” The figure flickered more strongly than it had before. “The First Son of Weishen is alive.” 

“You are the First Son of Weishen.”

“I am.” A mirthless smile. 

He reached out and interlaced his own with the black-inked fingers. Up close, he could see that the skin was reddened around the edges, scratched and inflamed like his own markings. Together, they watched the first rays of sunlight break through the trees, casting the clearing in a golden glow.

“ _Xīn gān_.”

The figure didn’t move.

“Dejun,” he tried. Dejun looked down at him and he could see the agony in his eyes, the agony he had brought upon them both. “I’m sorry.”

“No.” Dejun shook his head. _“_ _Nǐ méi xīn gān._ You’re not sorry. But that’s okay.” Dejun’s eyes glowed bright yellow as he raised himself to his feet, the edges of his frame fading with rising sun. “I’m coming and when I arrive, you can ask me for forgiveness once more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really so sorry.  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
>   
> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	19. St. Mungo's

There was static in Donghyuck's head, a high-rising tone that drowned all the sound around him. If he would've given it more thought, he might've found that it sounded like someone screaming. He wasn't quite sure whose voice he heard. 

He flinched when a hand came down on his shoulder, turning him around. 

"Come on," Mark said, tugging him down the hospital corridor. "We need to get you cleaned up."

Donghyuck looked down at his hands. They were painted red, drizzling rust-coloured flakes where the blood had begun to dry. It was covering him up to his elbows, splattered across the front of his robes. 

"I can't—" His eyes flickered in the direction where he had stood, to the wooden double doors that had swung close in his face. "I shouldn't leave." 

"There's nothing more you can do for him, Donghyuck. We did everything we could. It's in the Healers' hands now." 

Donghyuck nodded. The healers. Taeyong. Taeyong would fix it. He had fixed Johnny's heart. Donghyuck stumbled after Mark, down St. Mungo's maze-like corridors until they came to a halt in front of a brazen door. The air inside the bathroom was warm, almost warm enough to return the feeling to his numb limbs. 

Mark led him over to one of the basins and turned on the faucet. He checked the water temperature before he took Donghyuck's hands and held them under the spray, gently working the little bar of soap from the counter over his skin. 

Donghyuck watched the blood wash off his skin, red splattering against the painted porcelain of the basin. 

He blinked, memories overtaking him. 

*

Red splattered high into the air as the wolf's teeth dug into flesh, tearing through sinew and bone. It was the most horrific scream Donghyuck had ever heard, the scream his friend let out as the werewolf's jaw closed around his shoulder and hauled him into the air. 

From across the clearing, he couldn't see it at first, who it was. All he could see was the wolf's figure rising from under the trees and the purple light of the spell that had sent the other two hurtling through the air, out of harm's way. 

"Mark!" he screamed, hoping that Mark was seeing what he was seeing, that he'd know a spell to stop it. 

Blue light spilled from the tip of Mark’s wand, but neither of their spells were doing much to deter the wolf from his prey. It was senseless, but still Donghyuck found himself stumbling forward. 

"Oh no, boy, you won't." A hand came down on his shoulder, too big to be Mark's, the accompanying voice too deep. "You stay right here." 

Donghyuck had never been so happy to see a teacher's face before. 

He watched as Professor Park overtook him, his wand spewing bolts of silver lightning. They hit the wolf right in the chest, a pained yowl escaping the beast. His maw dropped open, dropping his prey. Donghyuck felt a sob build in his throat as his friend's body hit the ground. He knew who it was now. Donghyuck couldn't tell whether he was moving. He couldn't tell whether he was alive.

The sky seemed to darken, the moon obscured as more teachers descended onto the clearing, some joining Professor Park on the ground, some staying on their brooms to circle the wolf up above.

Silver light spilled from their wands in lightning bolts and Donghyuck could hear the wolf's pained yowls, the restless growling and snapping of his fangs as he was driven towards the edge of the clearing. 

Donghyuck waited only until the teachers had forced the wolf back towards the first line of trees before he ran. 

_ No, _ he thought as he fell to his knees.  _ No, _ he thought as he pressed his hands against a mangled chest. The wolf had gotten him by the shoulder, torn off the robes and into the flesh. Donghyuck widened the tear in the fabric to get to the heart, his fingertips slipping across blood-slick skin as he tried to feel for a beat. Beringed fingers covered his own, pried them away. 

Donghyuck nearly lashed out, but caught himself at the last moment when he met familiar brown eyes. 

Taeil didn't waste any time on him, but Donghyuck had been able to see everything Taeil wanted to tell him during the split second that their eyes had met; there was anger, disappointment, and fear. The same fear that Donghyuck felt as he looked down at his friend.

"I'm sorry," he wanted to say. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen.” 

It should have been him. He should have been there. Feeling his stomach turn, Donghyuck pressed his mouth shut, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. He didn’t have time to throw up. He had to help keep his friend alive. 

"Press down on the wounds here," Taeil told him and so Donghyuck did. 

While Taeil began to direct healing spells at every wound in sight, he leaned down, carding his fingers through dirt-matted strands, “You’re okay,” he lied, pressing their foreheads together. “You’ll be okay, you hear? 

_ “Episkey,” _ Taeil tried, pointing his wand at the wound Donghyuck was pressing down on, but even Donghyuck could see that it wasn’t helping. 

“It’s not healing, Taeil.” He could hear the panic in his own voice. 

Taeil shook his head. The grim expression in his eyes scared Donghyuck. Taeil wasn’t supposed to look like that. Taeil was supposed to be calm because he knew. He always knew because he saw. Unless… 

“No!” Donghyuck pulled himself upright, his grip tightening. “No, Taeil! What did you see? What did you—” 

He yelped when familiar arms wound around his middle and he was lifted into the air. “Mark! Let me down, Mark!” 

Mark set him back onto his feet, but kept his arms circled around his waist while they were joined by more teachers, Professor Do joining Taeil's side while Professor Byun crouched down where Donghyuck had been. 

"None of my healing spells are working,” Taeil informed them. “We have to get him to the infirmary.”

"That won't be enough," Professor Do said. "He was bitten by a werewolf. The wound has to be sealed with dittany and silver. That's his only chance." 

"So we do that." Professor Byun rose to his feet as quickly as he had crouched down. "Chanyeol!" he called out and the groundskeeper split from the group of teachers still driving the wolf further into the woods, away from them. 

"We need your chunky arms," Professor Byun said unceremoniously. "Do you think you can carry him?"

"Of course." 

Donghyuck watched as Professor Park knelt down. 

“Be careful with him!” Donghyuck didn’t know when he had started crying. “He’s—he’s hurt.” 

Professor Park met his eyes. Despite everything, there was still warmth in his gaze as he nodded, cradling the boy in his arms safely against his chest. Professor Byun pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, dropping it to the ground before he looked at Professor Do. 

“Soo, you coming with?” 

Professor Do shook his head. “I will bring the rest of the children.” His gaze flickered over to the edge of the clearing where the wolf was still roaring against the spells subjugating him, winding against the silver bolts still buried in his side. “All of them.”

“Okay. Heechul must have dissolved the barrier by now. We ought to get going.” 

“I wanna come with,” Donghyuck pressed forward, pulling Mark with him. Professor Byun looked like he might’ve argued, but Donghyuck didn’t let him. He couldn’t. “Please.” 

Professor Byun sighed, exchanging a glance with Taeil before he nodded. “All right then, there is no more time to be lost. A portkey is not ideal, but the fastest way to get us there.  _ Portus! _ Are you ready, Chanyeol?”

Professor Park nodded, stepping up to Professor Byun’s side. Professor Byun wound one of his arms around Professor Park’s legs, offering his free arm to Donghyuck. “Do us the honours then, Mr Seo.” 

Donghyuck nodded. With Mark still holding onto his side, he took his teacher’s arm and leaned down to touch the handkerchief. 

Using the portkey felt like being pulled through space and time by the navel, the travel as unpleasant as it was instantaneous. It left Donghyuck dizzy, and he might’ve stumbled had it not been for Mark keeping him upright. 

For a blissful, peaceful moment, all Donghyuck knew was Mark’s face, his sweat-matted hair and dirt-covered cheeks and the glasses Donghyuck had stolen so many years ago, now sitting askew on his face. It had been a cheap excuse to keep Mark in his vicinity, stealing those glasses and even though it had made Johnny mad at him, Donghyuck had kept coming up with new ways to anger Mark, because he had wanted Mark to keep chasing after him. 

It had been so long since then, and now his hands were bloody. He hoped that there would be something left of his heart after this night, because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Mark along with his friend. He could see the same emotion mirrored in Mark’s eyes as he found solace in the thought that whatever was going to happen, he would have Mark to lean on. 

Their moment of solace didn’t last, shouting and shoving hands filling the space between them as the corridor they had landed in was flooded with nurses and healers. 

Donghyuck only recognised one of them, a close friend of his uncle. 

“What happened?” Healer Shim asked, his hands already moving to inspect the body Chanyeol had deposited on the floating stretcher between them. 

“It’s one of our students,” Professor Byun explained. “He was attacked by a werewolf.” 

Grim understanding filled Healer Shim’s face as he nodded and directed the nurses to follow him down the corridor. “Quick, then! Get him into a room! And someone find Healer Seo! He has been gathering experience with werewolves this past month! Have you notified his parents?” 

Professor Park shook his head. “Not yet.” 

“You have to come with me, then. Someone has to decide.” 

“Decide what?” Donghyuck found himself asking, his heart pounding in his ears. A part of him already knew. He had known the moment he had seen the wolf’s teeth dig into his friend’s body. 

“Someone has to decide whether we’re sealing his wounds or allowing him to succumb to them. If we treat him, he’ll be afflicted for the rest of his life. It’s not a decision that should be made lightly.”

“Yes, it is!” Mark was there to hold him back, but Donghyuck didn’t care. “You’re saving him! You will—” He freed himself from Mark’s arms, but was powerless against the hand Professor Park clamped down on his shoulder. It didn’t stop him. It couldn’t. He was a child in their eyes, but he was also a Seo. Holding onto the thought, he forced himself to calm, breathe in deeply and exhale fully before he sought out the gaze of Healer Shim once more. “Please,” he said. “He is my friend. You have to save his life.” 

“I agree with Mr Seo,” Professor Byun said. 

Healer Shim nodded and then they were moving once more, rushing down the corridor. Donghyuck moved with them until they pushed through a set of wooden double doors that swung close in his face, leaving him and Mark on the other side. 

He stared at the intricately carved wood in front of his face for a long moment, nothing but static filling his head. 

He flinched when a hand came down on his shoulder, turning him around. 

"Come on," Mark said, tugging him down the hospital corridor. "We need to get you cleaned up."

*

In the space between dreams and wakeness, there were hands pressing down on Yukhei’s body, piercing hot metal into his skin. There was a scream building in his chest, but he didn’t know whether he was awake, whether he was screaming aloud or only in his head. It was only when the pain in his side was alleviated a tiny bit that he realised the hands pressing down on him were not pushing the metal into his skin, they were pulling it out.

"Lucas!" a voice screamed his name, over and over until it was cut off by quieter tones, more gentle tones trying to soothe the unconsolable. 

"Please," the voice pleaded. "Please, help him! It's not his fault! It's not—" 

"It's okay, Woo!” 

“No, Mark, let me—” 

“Taeyong will see to it that he gets the best treatment they can give him, but you have to let him go. You have to let them work.” 

The voice pleaded one more time, “Lucas!”

The last thing Yukhei thought before the darkness took him under was that it sounded like someone he loved.

*

Chenle didn’t like hospitals. He didn’t like them at all, even if the times he had been bound to one of the thin beds for months at a time long since had passed. It was the smell, he thought, the smell iodium and decay always left him squirmy. Jisung, sitting under him on the chair they shared, was privy to his feelings, of course. 

“Maybe we can ask Yangyang to take us home,” he suggested. “He will, if we ask him.” 

Chenle looked at their friend, sitting cross-legged on the ground next to them. Yangyang’s eyes were closed where he was leaning with his back against the wall of the hospital room, his mouth ajar.

Chenle wondered whether he was sleeping, or he was pretending to sleep so they would follow his lead. The thought made him smile. 

He shook his head. “No.” 

His gaze wandered over to the hospital bed standing against the opposite wall. One of the nurses had drawn the curtains close, but even so, Chenle wasn’t worried. He would have felt it if there had been death in the room. 

“We’ll stay. They might need us.” 

Jisung nodded, reaching up to play with his fingers. He always did when he was nervous and Chenle pressed further into his chest, eradicating any space between them. Instantly, he could feel some of the tension leave Jisung’s shoulders. 

“Le?” 

“Mhm?” The crook of Jisung’s shoulder was a good place to rest his head, and Jisung may have caught him drifting off. 

“Do you regret it?” 

He lifted his head. “What do you mean?” 

“Not saying anything. We knew Lucas was a werewolf.” Jisung bit his lip. Chenle didn’t hesitate to pull it out of his mouth for him. “Maybe, if we had said something after you realised—” 

“No.” Chenle shook his head. “We can’t think like that. It was never our place to say. I wish Lucas would have gotten the chance to tell us in his own time, but we couldn’t have known what was going to happen when Donghyuck and Mark cast the  _ Caecus Lucis.  _ No one else has ever cast a spell powerful enough to force a werewolf’s transformation outside of the full moon. And we can’t change it now. There's no use in regretting. We have to save our energy to help our friends.”

Chenle could feel that Jisung wasn’t yet reassured, but he knew that his oath twin worked through things in his own time, so he pressed a kiss to Jisung’s nose and leaned back against his shoulder. 

Jisung was quiet while Chenle dozed, his mind circling between thoughts of their friends, scattered around the hospital, and the night he had revealed his and Jisung’s secret to Lucas, hoping that Lucas might return the favour. 

Lucas hadn’t but even now, Chenle didn’t hold it against him. 

It wasn’t easy, baring yourself for the world to judge. 

*

The first thing Yukhei registered when he woke up was the ache in his bones, terrible in its familiarity but it seemed lesser now than it usually was after a transformation, dull like his mind felt. Slowly, he pried open his eyes. It was dark where he was, but he recognised the patterns carved into the sandstone ceiling, illuminated by the weak glow of the lamp on his bedside table. 

He was in the hospital, the same one he had spent the first month of his new life. 

It didn’t make sense that he was here. 

Feeling his throat constrict, he looked down at himself. His chest was wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, but even so Yukhei could see stains where his wounds were soaking through the gauze. They were running down his torso in a dotted line, and the pointed jabs when Yukhei tried to contract his chest muscles told him that the wounds hadn’t closed yet. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing against the nausea rising in his throat. The longer he was awake, the more the numbness to his bones receded and gave way to pain, his fogged-up mind clearing to allow him to remember. He had been in the woods with his friends and they had cast a spell that had illuminated the night and he had seen Jungwoo in his truest form and then...and then...

A scream ripped from his throat, amplified by the pain that shot through his limbs when he sat up too quickly. He had turned in front of his friends. He had turned with Jungwoo next to him. He might have hurt one of them. 

He might have hurt  _ all _ of them. 

The pain pounding in his body was nothing against the sorrow that took him over as he imagined his friends’ bodies, mangled by his claws and teeth. Another cry escaped him, if only to alleviate the pressure on his lungs, and the curtains surrounding his bed were ripped open. 

Yukhei flinched when merciless hands came down on his shoulders, pushing him down into the bed. “Lucas!” 

He whimpered. He was Lucas. 

“You can’t sit up yet! Have you lost your mind? Do you know how many silver bolts Donghyuck buried in you?” 

Through the tears blurring his eyes, he just so managed to make out his friend’s silhouette. It hurt, but he still reached out and pulled Yangyang against his chest. He couldn’t have described the relief he felt in that moment even if he had wanted to. If Yangyang was raging, then he was okay. At least, one of them. 

“Lucas,” Yangyang wheezed against him, flailing to be released from his hold. 

Yukhei couldn’t bring himself to let go just yet. “Sorry.” 

There must have been something in his voice that took the fight out of Yangyang. His voice was unusually soft as he patted Yukhei’s arms. “Hey, now, big guy, you can let go of me, yeah? No need to embarrass us both.” 

“Sorry,” Yukhei repeated. He couldn’t think of any other words in that moment, except for, “The others…?”

Something in Yangyang’s expression shifted, but it quickly disappeared behind one of his bright smiles. Yukhei had caught it, though, and he felt his heart sink. 

“Yangyang,” he rasped out, blindly grappling for his hands. “Tell me.” 

He had to know. He had to know if he had hurt someone. 

Yangyang shuffled on his feet. “Donghyuck told me we’re not supposed to tell you. You’ll get upset and then you won’t heal as good.” 

Something in Yukhei snapped. “Yangyang,” he growled. He wasn’t himself in that moment, he was someone he had been before. Someone with authority, who had commanded everyone below him. And they all had been below him. “Who is it?” 

Yangyang looked at him, his chin jutting out at the challenge, but Yukhei could see him cave. Yangyang threw a look over his shoulder and Yukhei felt the fight leave him when he saw the twins squeezed onto the single chair that was pushed up against the opposite wall. Chenle was sleeping with his mouth open against Jisung’s chest while Jisung had his head bedded on Chenle’s hair. 

The twins seemed just as unharmed as Yangyang. He had no doubt that all his friends had made an effort to protect them, and while Yukhei could feel his physical pain alleviate with the immense relief he felt at seeing them unharmed, he also felt his chest tighten as the circle of friends he might have hurt drew tighter. 

“Donghyuck will literally kill me if I tell you, but... maybe you want to take a walk.” Yangyang’s eyes shone as he turned his head to meet Yukhei’s once more. “Maybe you want to want to turn right outside of the door and then walk down the corridor until the end, turn the corner and find the door with a swallow carved into the wood. Maybe you want to go into that room and see who’s inside. I wouldn’t know.” 

Yangyang slowly retreated from Yukhei’s bed, walking backwards until his back hit the wall next to the chair Chenle and Jisung were sleeping in. He sunk down gracefully, wrapping his arms around his legs. 

He bedded his head on his knees, tilting his body to the side until he was resting against Chenle’s arm hanging over the edge. “I was asleep this whole time.” 

Yukhei wasted no time pushing off the blanket laying across his lap. He was clad in nothing but a pair of hospital pants, the feeling of the thin fabric familiar against his skin, but he didn’t mind as he painstakingly fought his way to the door. Walking hurt and he couldn’t put weight on his left foot without pain shooting up his leg, but it didn’t matter to him. 

Yangyang had given him a chance. Despite the fact that he clearly knew what Yukhei had done, he had not looked upon Yukhei with disgust. He had not raised his wand to Yukhei’s chest. 

As if Yangyang had been able to read his thoughts, his quiet voice drifted through the room to catch him just before he left, “Lucas?”

With his hand on the handle, he turned around. Yangyang’s eyes were closed, but there was no lull to his words when he said, “Merlin knows how it happened, but the majority of my friends turned out to be Slytherin. While I’m not into the whole ‘we’re so omnious, look at us seal everything with blood’ spiel, I can’t deny that some of their schtick has rubbed off on me.” 

Yukhei stared at his inconspicuous form. “I—I don’t understand.” 

In the dim light of the bedside lamp, Yangyang’s eyes seemed to gleam when he opened them. “I’m telling you that you’re my friend, Lucas. You were yesterday, you are today and you will be tomorrow. Don’t forget. Don’t you let yourself forget it, no matter what someone else might tell you. I don’t give up on my friends. No matter what you are.” 

Yukhei felt new tears spring to his eyes, but he turned his head before Yangyang could see them fall. He knew Yangyang wouldn’t have liked it if Yukhei forced him to watch him cry. Still, he whispered out a “Thank you” before he turned the handle and left. 

The corridor outside of his room was as deserted as Yukhei had hoped for and he was careful to make as little noise as possible as he turned to the right and fought to make it to the corner. His head was swimming his breathing ragged by the time he made it there, but he made it there and leaned against the wall for a short break. 

The sound of voices made him press himself against the wall. His heart thundered in his chest as he peeked around the corner. Among all the emotions rising in his chest, he clung to the relief he felt as he saw Donghyuck standing in front of the door Yangyang had mentioned. 

Donghyuck was standing with his head lowered and his hands curled into fists by his side, the whole of him nearly obscured from Yukhei’s field of vision by his cousin’s broader frame. 

Johnny stood with his arms crossed, the low tone of his voice doing nothing to ease the harshness with which he spoke, “...what I told you, Donghyuck! I told you that the spell was dangerous, but you went ahead and did it anyways and now look where it got you. Your stubbornness nearly cost two of your friends their lives! Might still, if the stars misalign.”

Yukhei felt his heart skip a beat, fear seizing it with an iron grip. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Donghyuck shrunk in on himself with every of his cousin’s words, but it didn’t seem to break him until Johnny said, “I’m disappointed in you, Donghyuck.” 

Donghyuck looked up at that and for the first time, Yukhei could see tears glisten in his eyes, “Johnny—” 

“No.” Johnny took a step back, rubbing his forehead. The wedding band on his finger glistened in the torch light. “I don’t even know what to say to you right now. Just...if you refuse to leave, then go and sit down with Mark. Don’t do anything else.  _ Nothing  _ at all, you hear me?” 

“Cousin, I’m sorr—”

“This will have consequences, Donghyuck, consequences that might leave you unscathed if I can help it, but I can’t promise the same for your friends. I already talked to Jaehyun, but he says the Wizengamot is not happy. They want to revoke Lucas’ asylum. Do you know what will happen to him if he has to go back to where he comes from? They kill his kind there, Donghyuck, to keep from happening what happened tonight.” 

“I didn’t know.” Donghyuck’s bottom lip wobbled. “I didn’t know he was a werewolf! He never told any of us. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him come!” 

Johnny shook his head. “That wouldn’t have made it a difference, Hyuck. The blind man’s light would have reached him inside the castle, too. Looking at it like that, it was probably better that he was out there in the woods with you. He could have hurt so many more people if he had changed inside the dormitory.”

“One is enough.” Donghyuck sniffed. 

“That is true.” Johnny deflated. “One is more than enough.” 

A moment of silence passed between them in which Johnny continued to rub his forehead and Donghyuck used his sleeve to wipe his face. He looked up when he was done. 

“Cousin?”

“Yes?” 

Donghyuck’s voice was quiet, meek in a way Yukhei had never heard it before, “Do you hate me now?”

Even from afar, Yukhei could see the lines of Johnny’s form soften and then Johnny was truly swallowing Donghyuck from sight as he enveloped him. 

“No, silly duck,” Johnny murmured as he stroked the top of Donghyuck’s head. “You know I’m on your side. I always am. This mess you and your friends made will just take more than a night to clean up and I haven’t figured out yet how to help you. That’s very frustrating.” 

“I’m sorry. Maybe you should talk to Taeyong,” Donghyuck suggested, pressing his cheek against his chest. “You always get smarter when you’re with him.” 

“I don’t even know whether that’s supposed to be a compliment or not.” 

“Johnny?”

“Yes?”

“I’m tired.”

“All right then, tike. Let’s get you into bed. I’m sure we can find a space between Mark and Jungwoo for you.” 

Yukhei clasped a hand over his mouth as he watched Johnny pick up Donghyuck onto his back and carry him through the open door next to the one with the swallow. His knees threatened to buckle the moment they were out of sight. 

Jungwoo. Johnny had said his name. Jungwoo was alive. 

The thought gave Yukhei the strength to push himself off the wall. With the immense relief he felt hearing that he hadn’t hurt Jungwoo, Yukhei also felt the string around his heart tighten further. There were still three of his friends left unaccounted for and he didn’t know whether he could live with what he was going to find beyond the door. He just knew that he had to see, see for himself what he had done. 

The door opened with a low creak and he tried to keep his breathing even as he entered. The bedside lamp was dimmed to its lowest setting, but by now Yukhei’s eyes had adjusted enough to the dark to make out the single bed in the room, and the three figures sprawled across it. 

Yukhei looked at Renjun first, who was sat in the chair pulled up to the bed while his upper half was sprawled over the shins of the other two. He looked peaceful in his sleep, even if the sorrowful expression didn’t leave him even while he was sleeping. 

_ You’d have a friend in him if no one else.  _ Yukhei didn’t know how true the words of Yuta’s father held, not after what had happened. What he was responsible for. 

His hand curled around the iron bar of the footboard as he finally forced himself to look further up the bed.  The twin size mattress was too small for two people, but Jeno and Jaemin made it work. They were pressed so closely together that it was hard to tell where one of them ended. 

He didn’t realise at first, that Jaemin’s eyes were open. 

Yukhei flinched, pain shooting through the left side of his body, but there was nothing but Jaemin’s eyes holding him in place, holding him upright even when his knees felt like buckling. 

Jaemin stared at him and then he looked away, turned his head so he could look at Jeno instead. 

Jeno sounded pained even as he was asleep, his breath shallow, more of a whistle than a real breath. His upper body was bandaged even more than Yukhei’s, his right arm wrapped against his chest so he wouldn’t move it in his sleep. Even past the wrappings, Yukhei could tell that Jeno’s shoulder was mangled, deep gashes slowly soaked through the bandages. 

There was a sound somewhere at the back of Yukhei’s throat, a plea for forgiveness, a cry for help. He pressed his lips together so it couldn’t escape. He wouldn’t disrespect Jeno by disturbing his rest too. He knew that it was risky staying longer than even a second, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but stare down at the hospital bed and at his friend, whom he had hurt so gravely. 

Jaemin was still looking at him, but he wasn’t speaking and so Yukhei wouldn’t either. He knew that there was nothing he could have said that would have offered Jaemin any consolation, that would have erased the void from Jaemin’s eyes. 

Eventually, Jaemin turned away to gently adjust Jeno’s head until it looked like Jeno had an easier time breathing and Yukhei knew that it was time to leave. It hurt to release his grip on the iron bar, but he pushed himself off and braced himself for the long way back to his room. 

He turned to come face to face with the tip of a wand. 

He didn’t know who the wizard was, but he could see him well enough in the low light to see the murderous intent in his eyes. The wizard’s mouth opened, but there was no sound that came over his lips, as if he had had words, but he had lost them along the way. 

All Yukhei could read in his face was pain. 

“Donghae!” 

Yukhei instinctively turned his head towards the source of the noise, his eyes widening as he watched another unfamiliar wizard, this one blue-haired, hurry over and push down the wand still pointed at Yukhei’s face. 

“What are you doing?” the blue-haired wizard hissed. 

“He’s the one.” Yukhei felt every single word of the other wizard cut into him like a knife. “He’s the one who did this to Jeno.” 

“I’m sorry.” Yukhei had wanted his voice to be strong, but it came out no louder than a whisper. 

The grief in Donghae’s face turned into anger. “You—”

He was pushed back by the blue-haired wizard before he could raise his wand once more. “No,” the blue-haired wizard told him, over and over again with every push against the other man’s chest. “This is not who you are anymore, Hae. This is not how we deal with this.” 

“He deserves to die! He hurt my son… _ my son…” _

It were words Yukhei had heard once before, spoken by his own father when Master Zhoumi had told them the news of his accident. He remembered it so clearly, how pale his father had become, how his mother, whom he had never seen bow to anyone, had thrown herself to the ground and cried. 

The blue-haired wizard only turned to him long enough to tell him to leave before he was back to holding Donghae against the wall. 

Yukhei lost no time. A part of him longed to stay, find his fate sooner than later, but that would have been merciful and mercy was not something he deserved. Not anymore. 

The last thing he saw as he closed the door behind himself was Jaemin on the hospital bed, his eyes closed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is an opportune time to mention I only do happy endings, heh. <3  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
> check out these amazing [TCOA character aesthetics!](https://twitter.com/petitlavande_/status/1306391294944710657?s=20)  
>   
> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! <3


	20. Confession

Yangyang, Chenle and Jisung seemed to be asleep when Yukhei returned to his room. He was glad for it, glad they didn’t have to watch as he collapsed onto his bed. His hands were shaking in front of his face as he curled into a ball, squeezing his eyes shut. 

He couldn’t ban the sight of Jeno’s body out of his mind, broad frame dwarfed by the hospital bed, and Jaemin’s empty eyes, soul crushed beyond anger. Yukhei didn’t hold it against Jaemin that he had closed his eyes when Jeno’s father had pushed his wand into Yukhei’s face with the intent to kill. 

That was what Yukhei had done. 

Despite the pain coursing through his body and mind, the quiver in his bones settled eventually and he gave into the lingering numbness in his bones. He knew from his first time in the hospital that his body burned off potions and remedies quicker than the body of an ordinary wizard, but there was still enough left in his bloodstream to help him fall asleep, put his body to rest where his mind was racing. 

Still, he didn’t feel like he had slept at all when there was a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. 

“Lucas,” said a voice that he had heard in his dreams before, that had saved him before. 

The morning light filtering in through the window above his bed stung his eyes, but he kept them open to take in the sight of the doctor leaning over his bed. Yukhei had expected Taeyong to look at him with disdain, but there was none in the doctor’s large, concerned eyes. 

Yukhei didn’t understand. 

Every single hope Taeyong had had for him, he had disappointed. 

“Sorry,” was the first word out of his mouth. “Sorry.” Tears sprung to his eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

Taeyong shook his head, took his hands where Yukhei was clawing at his sheets. “No, Lucas.” 

Yukhei’s vision blurred, but then the doctor’s arms were engulfing him, holding him tightly as Yukhei sobbed into the front of Taeyong’s Healer robes. Taeyong rubbed soothing circles into his back, humming quiet words of consolation into his ear. Yukhei soaked up every ounce of consolation Taeyong was willing to give him, even if he knew it couldn’t last.

Being hugged by the doctor felt like absolution. 

“You’re okay, Lucas, you’re okay.” 

Yukhei wasn’t, but he wanted to believe the doctor’s words. “Jeno…”

“Jeno woke up this morning. We don’t know yet how he will be afflicted by what happened to him, but he is awake and from here on out, the rest of the Healers and I will do everything in our power to help him. Just like I helped you.” 

“I hurt him.” 

“Yes.” There were no false pretenses in Taeyong’s eyes as he pulled away to meet Yukhei’s gaze. “Yes, you hurt him but it is not your fault.” He framed Yukhei’s face with his hands and lightly shook his head. “It is not your fault, you hear me?” 

Yukhei couldn’t give an answer to that, guilt drawing his throat tight. He was grateful when the doctor didn’t press him any further at the moment, instead ordering him to sip down the cup of water he had brought, along with a colourful array of vials. 

When Yukhei had taken the last of his medicine, Taeyong helped him sit up further, cutting away Yukhei’s bandages with a flick of his wand. Yukhei wanted to start sobbing again when Taeyong redressed his wounds, applying ointment to the places where the silver had left his skin raw, healing at a snail’s pace. 

Eventually, he was allowed to lie back down and Yukhei couldn’t help the breath of relief that escaped him. Taeyong smiled at him, though it looked sad. 

Yukhei added it to the list of things he hated himself for. 

“I will come back in the evening. Until then, your job is to rest and do nothing else, do you understand? Healer’s orders.”

Yukhei nodded, feeling a bit like a child with his blanket drawn up to his chin and Taeyong looking down at him with his eyebrows furrowed in a stern line. Yukhei searched his face for disdain once more, but there was only concern in the doctor’s eyes. Concern and care. 

Taeyong pressed his knuckles against his forehead as if to check his temperature, brushing Yukhei’s hair out of his forehead for him before he sighed and turned towards the door. Yukhei’s vision blurred as he watched the doctor leave. 

With so many potions coursing through his veins, it was easy to fall back into the darkness. 

*

Renjun was going to punch someone in the face. No, not someone. He was going to punch Jaemin in the face. 

“Let her do her job, Jaem,” he hissed when it looked like Jaemin was going to rush forward and disturb the nurse  _ again _ where she was sitting on the edge of Jeno’s bed. 

Jaemin growled under his breath, his wrist jerking in Renjun’s grip, but Renjun held tight to keep them both leaned against the opposite wall. At the rate Jaemin was going, he was going to get them kicked out of Jeno’s room, or worse, banned from the hospital. Apart from Taeyong, it hadn’t taken long for the pity in the rest of the hospital staff’s eyes to turn into annoyance at their presence and Jaemin’s rather forward  _ constructive criticism.  _

“She’s forcing him,” Jaemin hissed, his eyes never leaving the spoon the nurse was using to feed Jeno soup. “If she keeps ramming the spoon into his mouth like that, he’s going to — ” 

Just then, Jeno spluttered, his choking turning into pained hacking as his mangled body involuntarily jerked to free his airways. Renjun winced. He had never been one to wish for things he knew were out of his reach, but in that moment, he felt the same as Jaemin, wishing against reason that he would have been able to take Jeno’s place. 

_ It should have been you anyways,  _ a quiet voice at the back of his mind said,  _ He took your place because you were dumb enough to run towards a werewolf instead of the other way.  _

Renjun exhaled, closing his eyes for a brief moment to regain himself. He couldn’t allow himself to be torn into by the guilt he felt. He had to keep himself together. It was what Jeno needed from him, and Jaemin too. The boy he loved was hanging by a thread, both of them in different ways, and so he couldn’t allow for a single ripple in his own seams. 

He ripped his eyes open when Jaemin tore his wrist out of his grip and Renjun was fully ready to tackle him to the ground, but then Jaemin was brushing past Jeno’s bed, storming out of the open door. Renjun swallowed the curse on his tongue as he pushed himself off the wall. 

Jeno’s panicked eyes met his on the way out and Renjun took the time to shoot him a tight smile.  _ I got it, _ he tried to say with his eyes and was relieved when Jeno relaxed, obediently opening his mouth for another spoonful of soup. Renjun held onto the image of the nurse smiling down at Jeno. Jeno had been awake for half a day, but already the nurses and Healers were falling for his soft eyes and impeccable manners. It was only Jaemin and Renjun they hated. 

Renjun could live with that. It was what made his blood run green instead of yellow like the rest of his family. 

It was colder out on the hallway than it had been inside the room, but Renjun was thankful for the fresh air. It helped him think. He knew Jaemin hadn’t gone to the room two doors over where the rest of their friends had spent the night. Donghyuck would’ve already been dragging him back by the ears to apologise and sit tight. 

So, Renjun turned on his heel and steered in the opposite direction. 

It seemed a little too easy, going for the brazen bathroom door, but he doubted Jaemin would have invaded another patient’s room. Like Renjun, he liked to work through things by himself, away from people. 

The hinges of the bathroom door gave a quiet whine as Renjun stepped inside. It was quiet, the only background noise a steady drip of water. 

Renjun walked over to the leaking faucet and shut it off properly before he inspected the stalls. All of them were open except for the door at the very end of the row, a quiet clinking sound coming from under the wood. Renjun frowned and pulled his wand. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he made his way over, directed his wand at the lock. 

It sprung open with the breath of  _ “Alohomora!” _ he uttered. 

Jaemin was sitting with his back against the tiled wall, his knees pulled to his chest. He had one hand buried in his hair while he let a small vial dance across the fingers of his other hand. The clinking sound came from the glass hitting the silver ring Donghyuck had gifted each of them after they had won the championship the year before. Renjun’s heart clenched at the sight of the butter yellow powder in the vial. He wanted to rip the vial out of Jaemin’s hand, flush it down the toilet and maybe dunk in Jaemin’s head right after to rinse the non-sense from his mind, but he knew that wasn’t the way. 

Jaemin ignored him as Renjun slid down the wooden wall of the bathroom stall opposite of him. 

“Do you need it?” Renjun asked quietly, gently because he knew nothing would shock Jaemin more to break him out of his reverie. 

Jaemin looked up, eyes dark and pupils blown as if he had already taken some of the lacewing powder. But Renjun knew he hadn’t. The bottle was sealed and Jaemin didn’t want to. Not really. He never had. 

Jaemin’s eyes flickered back to the bottle. “My mum used to give me some to get me to sleep at night. She said it would make me happy, that it would make me invincible against the monsters under my bed. It always made her and dad happy enough that they stopped fighting, so I believed her.” 

“And does it work?” 

“The pain goes away when you take it.” Jaemin shrugged, his head hitting the tiled wall behind him with a low thud. “When you’re on it, nothing in the world can touch you because the world becomes how you want it to be.” A grin split his face apart. “On it, you can just believe that there are no monsters under the bed, no parents that forget to feed you for three days.”

Renjun gritted his teeth. He had always been rough on Jaemin, but there had been moments that had slipped through the cracks. Mannerisms that Renjun had picked up on, and side remarks that he hadn’t forgotten just because they had been uttered late at night in front of the fireplace when half of them had already been dozing. He wasn’t a stranger to Jaemin’s suffering, and though he had never heard Jaemin say it so clearly, he wasn’t surprised. It was cold rage that flooded his veins, the kind that had had years to manifest, that might lead to darker magic than was savoury. 

Jaemin’s eyes closed as he continued, “On the powder, there’s no crying because you’ve got a broken back after you’ve run into your dad in a side street of Diagon Alley for the first time in five years and he doesn’t like it when you tell him you have no money to give him so he decides to send a spinebreaker curse after you.”

If Renjun would have met Jaemin’s father in an alley, he might’ve sent more after him than a spinebreaker curse. 

“You might get over the need at some point, but it always comes back.” Jaemin smiled. “Pain always comes back. You can be on top of the world, but then in the next moment your best friend might get with your crush behind your back and before you know it you have to watch him get mauled by a fucking werewolf.” 

Jaemin’s grip on the vial tightened. “If you take it, all of it just goes away. Then you’re happy.”

“But it’s not real. You’re not really happy.” 

“Does it matter? Does it matter whether your happiness is real when you feel like it is?” 

Renjun held his gaze. “Yes.” He looked at the point where their ankles were touching, legs cramped in the close proximity of the stall. “You deserve to be really happy, Jaemin.” 

Jaemin scoffed. 

Renjun nodded. He had expected that such words wouldn’t work on Jaemin. So, he had to bring out the big spells. “You won’t be able to take care of Jeno if you take it, Jaemin. You’ll run out and you know what the withdrawal does to you. You’ll be useless.” 

“I’m already useless, Renjun.” There was no emotion in Jaemin’s voice. He sounded resigned as if this wasn’t the first time he had thought this about himself. The cold rage returned to Renjun’s veins. “The nurses already hate me. Besides, Jeno has you now.” 

Renjun couldn’t help himself. 

“Ow!” Jaemin yelped as Renjun’s foot connected with the inside of his thigh, causing his entire body to jerk and his legs to stretch out. The vial slipped from Jaemin’s fingers, but Renjun gave him no chance to even look after it, because he pushed himself forward and straddled Jaemin’s knees, forcing his head up by burying his fingers in Jaemin’s hair and pulling. “You’re really so stupid, Jaemin Na!” 

Jaemin stared at him wide-eyed. 

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Renjun withstood the temptation to knock Jaemin’s head against the wall behind him, knock some sense into him. “Jeno has been in love with you for years, but here you are, wallowing in self pity, too fucking blind to see what’s right in front of you, because if you did, if you allowed yourself to  _ see, _ then you’d have to admit that your heart, Jaemin Na, isn’t as safe as you always thought it was.” 

Jaemin’s mouth dropped open, closed and opened, but no sound came over his lips. “Why are you even saying this?” he croaked out. “Jeno doesn’t love me, Renjun. He doesn’t — he would have told me. And he’s with you.” 

“Are you really going to pretend that you don’t know?” 

Jaemin shook his head. 

“Oh, bullshit.” Renjun didn’t mask his snarl, his grip in Jaemin’s hair tightening. “You’re lying to yourself, Jaemin, and we’re past the point where you can afford that.”

“I’m not lying! I don’t — ” 

“Everything Jeno has done since he was eight years old was for you. That’s nearly a decade of devotion, Jaemin, more than half his life. So you don’t get to look me in the eye and tell me that you didn’t know, or that you don’t feel the same.” 

“But — but I love you.” 

Renjun allowed himself to laugh. “Right. You’ve made that very clear, haven’t you? First Taeyong and then me, do you not see the pattern? You’re so good at announcing your crushes to the world, proclaiming them from the top of the Astronomy Tower, but that’s easy because what’s the harm in picking people that won’t like you back? Well, tough luck, Jaemin. The ruse is up and so is your time. You don’t get to play it safe anymore. I know neither of us is a Gryffindor, but it’s time that the both of us be brave and face our feelings.”

Jaemin stared at him, oceans of emotion in his eyes and Renjun, despite the tension in his body, also felt wonder. His harsh words had stripped Jaemin bare, pushed him into a corner and pried away his bravado to reveal what was underneath. 

“Jeno deserves better than me.” Jaemin’s admission was quiet, his eyes falling to the floor. 

“Jeno threw himself in front of a werewolf for you, for the both of us.” 

_ “Why did you do it?” Renjun had asked, in the dead of night when everyone else had been asleep and Jeno’s eyes had flickered open, just long enough to focus on Renjun’s face.  _

_ Jeno’s gaze had shifted to the side, the pain in his eyes only subsiding once he had found Jaemin’s face, tucked into his uninjured shoulder. A smile had passed over Jeno’s lips, pained but accomplished. Self-sacrificing bastard.  _

_ “No werewolves on the National Quidditch Team.”  _

“It’s not a decision you get to make for him, Jaemin. Jeno already decided years ago. And so did you.” 

“You’re wrong.” 

“I doubt that.” 

The corner of Jaemin’s mouth twitched, as if he wanted to smile. His eyes were clear when he met Renjun’s gaze. “The way I feel for you is different than the way I feel for Jeno, but it’s not any less deep. I mean it when I say that I love you. And that’s not fair to Jeno, either.” And then his brows furrowed. “You’re with Jeno, Renjun. You shouldn’t say all this stuff. He needs you. You shouldn’t even be here with me.” His hips bucked up as if he was trying to shake Renjun off. 

Renjun felt something in himself dislodge, like the cork popping from a bottle. He let go of Jaemin’s hair to grab his cheeks instead. It wasn’t a gentle gesture, but Jaemin was used to that from him. “You’re so dumb, Jaemin Na. You’re really the dumbest boy I’ve ever had the misfortune of falling in love with.” 

Jaemin’s eyes grew comically wide as he jerked. “What?” 

“Yes.” Renjun was just as surprised at Jaemin at the flat tone of his voice, the ease with which the word had come over his lips. It was dangerous, so so dangerous to admit to his faults, but he wasn’t like Jaemin. He had grown tired of pretending he couldn’t see the things that were right in front of him, didn’t feel the way he felt inside. 

“Yes. Jeno loves you, and so do I.” Renjun jerked out his chin. “Do you have a problem with that?” 

“I — I think my brain just broke.” Jaemin’s head hit the wall behind him with a low thud. He stared up at Renjun with awe. “I can’t believe this.” 

“You’ll have time to get used to it.” Renjun swallowed down the thundering of his heart. His fingertips were tingling where he was touching Jaemin’s face and he could feel it unfold in his chest, the same hope that he saw flickering in Jaemin’s eyes, not yet ignited but there was a chance. They had a chance. 

_ Three can make it work if one’s blood covers the ground,  _ Taeil’s voice echoed in his head. When Renjun had received his prophecy, Taeil halting between pouring them both a cup of tea, he had thought that it would have been him, but of course Jeno hadn’t let that happen. 

“We’ll have to figure this out, but right now Jeno needs us.” Renjun allowed his grasp on Jaemin’s cheeks to loosen until he was simply holding him. “The both of us. Do you think you can do that?” 

They both looked at the corner of the bathroom stall where the vial of lacewing powder had rolled. Renjun gave Jaemin the time to look at it, watched the way his throat moved as he swallowed, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he gritted his teeth. 

Jaemin’s eyes fluttered closed and then he was burying his face in the front of Renjun’s robes, his arms coming up to circle around Renjun’s waist. Renjun smiled as he snaked his arms around Jaemin’s shoulders, stroking the back of his head. 

“It’s going to be all right.” For the first time, he could say it with confidence. 

Jaemin’s grip on his waist tightened and Renjun smiled as he allowed himself to have this moment. He lowered his head to bury his face in Jaemin’s hair and inhaled deeply. They had a chance and he would make sure to take it. 

*

Yukhei had spent the day dozing, fading in and out of consciousness. At times, he had woken up to find Yangyang or Mark sitting by his bedside. Other times, he had woken up to an empty room. 

Taeyong came back to visit him in the evening like he had promised, bringing Yukhei dinner and more ointment for his wounds, as well as more of the colourful vials that made his pain go away. 

It was dark when he finally woke up properly, the lack of noise drifting in from the hallway telling him that it had to be late at night. His skin tingled where the moonlight reached it. Another side effect of the medicine was that he felt less of the other’s presence within him. Yukhei was grateful for that more than the way the medicine took away the ache in his bones. 

He exhaled into the still air, realising only then that he hadn’t woken up because he had slept off his dosage, but because there  _ was _ noise outside of his room. Remembering Donghae, he pulled his blanket tighter around himself, wishing that he would have had his wand with him. Mark had told him that Professor Do had recovered it and that it was waiting for him in his trunk at Hogwarts, but that was of no use to him now. 

Biting down on his bottom lip, he watched as the door to his room opened slowly, allowing for a single body to slip through before it closed again. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched the hooded figure approach his bed, and then it picked up pace for a different reason when he recognised the slender frame. 

Jungwoo wasn’t in school robes like Yangyang and Mark had been. Instead, he was wearing a nondescript brown cloak and his hair —Yukhei sat up.  Jungwoo’s hair had been charmed to lose its silver tint, only the roots shimmering with their original colour while the rest of the strands looked like they had been dipped in black ink. 

“What happened to your hair?” The sight shocked him enough that he forgot himself for a moment, forgot where they were and what he had done. 

Jungwoo smiled at him, a tight edge to his expression as he sat down on the edge of Yukhei’s bed. He tried to take Yukhei’s hands, but Yukhei quickly pulled them out of his reach. 

“Don’t —” He had forgotten it for a moment, but he remembered himself now. Remembered what had happened. “You shouldn’t touch me.” 

“Lucas.” Jungwoo’s voice was hoarse, but unwavering. His eyes bore into Yukhei’s and Yukhei closed his mouth. Jungwoo’s expression softened and Yukhei could see the tears shining in his eyes as Jungwoo leaned forward. One of his hands came up to cup Yukhei’s cheek, and Yukhei let him, forever mesmerised by the sight of Jungwoo, coming to him in the darkest night. “How are you?” 

A part of Yukhei wanted to laugh.  _ It hurts, _ he wanted to say.  _ Everything hurts.  _ But that was not what Jungwoo should hear. He deserved better. “I’m fine.” 

Jungwoo shook his head, clearly seeing through his lie. Yukhei’s breath caught in his throat when Jungwoo leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. “You’re a werewolf.” 

Yukhei didn’t understand how Jungwoo could even stand to be in the same room as him, but he was grateful for it all the same. Jungwoo had come to see him, was grasping onto his hand as if Yukhei’s claws hadn’t nearly torn one of their friends to shreds. 

“I’m a werewolf.” 

It was too late for him to confess to it, superfluous when all his friends had already  _ seen _ him, but still Yukhei was wanted to say it out loud. If only just once, he wanted to be truthful. 

What came out of Jungwoo’s mouth in response was not what Yukhei had expected him to say. “Then you meant it. Mark said it when we were working on our project. You were never swayed by what I couldn’t control.” 

Feeling confused, Yukhei pulled away to gauge Jungwoo’s expression. “What do you mean?” 

Jungwoo smiled, wiping his eyes. “When you told me you loved me, you meant it, didn’t you? You love me truly?” 

Oh. Yukhei blinked.  _ Oh.  _

“Always.” His heart seized in his chest. “Always, I meant it. I love you.” Separated from all the pain and sorrow in his heart, this was his truest feeling. 

He hoped Jungwoo wouldn’t hate him for it. He waited for Jungwoo’s smile to fade, for anger or disgust to take over his expression, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Jungwoo’s smile grew and then the tears that had been gathering in his eyes spilled over, running down his cheeks. 

Yukhei felt his own eyes burn with unshed tears as Jungwoo tightened his grip on his hand. “Run away with me.” 

He jerked. “What?” 

Jungwoo’s gaze flickered over to the door. “We don’t have much time. I overheard Johnny and Jaehyun talking this evening. The Wizengamot has set another court date for you. They’re going to revoke your asylum. They’re going to come for you soon.” 

Yukhei felt the blood froze in his veins. His head fell. He stared at the point where Jungwoo had interlaced their fingers, the only thing tethering him to the world in that moment. 

Jungwoo’s voice was insistent in his ears. “Come, Lucas, come with me.”

When Yukhei closed his eyes, he could see home. He could see the snow-tipped trees and Weishen’s grounds. He knew every path, every crook and creek. If they sent him away, he would see home again. One last time, before his time was up. 

His time was up. Everything he had built at Hogwarts was crumbling and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had destroyed what he had built because he was a monster. 

His throat constricted as he said, “No.” 

“No?” Jungwoo’s voice shook. “What do you mean no?”

Yukhei shook his head. “I can’t run. It’s my fault,” he pulled away from Jungwoo’s touch, curling his fingers against his chest. “I did this, Jungwoo.” 

Jungwoo stared at him, mouth agape before it snapped shut. The pain in Jungwoo’s eyes was worse to Yukhei than his own and when Jungwoo’s head fell, he wanted to reach out, but Jungwoo was already wiping at his own tears. 

“You love me,” he whispered at the sheets between them. 

Yukhei nodded. It was all he had left now. “I do, but I can’t leave. It’s not right. Please, understand.” 

Jungwoo took a shuddering breath and when he looked up, there was a small smile on his lips. “I understand. You love me,” he said once more, but this time his tone was different, as if he was talking more to himself than Yukhei. His hand was cold against Yukhei’s cheek, wet with tears. “I love you too, Lucas. More than you can imagine. And if you really love me then I hope…I hope…” 

Yukhei’s breath caught in his throat when Jungwoo leaned forward, his words a whisper against Yukhei’s lips. “I hope you can forgive me, Lucas.” 

Yukhei’s brows furrowed at the nonsense of Jungwoo’s words, but then all thoughts were erased from his mind when Jungwoo closed the distance between them. 

Their lips met.

Yukhei had dreamt of kissing Jungwoo countless times, but nothing measured up against the real thing. Nothing measured up against the gentle slide of Jungwoo’s lips against his own, the swipe of his tongue into Yukhei’s mouth bringing the taste of saltwater and something eternally sweeter, filling every ridge of Yukhei’s being like molasses. 

Yukhei’s hands moved on their own accord, settling on Jungwoo’s waist to keep him close, but Jungwoo was already pulling away from him, leaving Yukhei heaving for breath like a drowning man that had his life float taken away. 

He stared in awe as the brown obscuring Jungwoo’s real eye colour burned away to give way to bright purple, the veins around his eyes protruding grey. Yukhei found himself caught in Jungwoo’s gaze. He had always been unable to look away, but this time it felt like the world was shrinking, was reduced to Jungwoo’s face. 

The words spilling out of his mouth, calling to him in the sweetest of tones, were all that occupied his mind, “Lucas.” 

He nodded. He was Lucas. 

A giggle came over Jungwoo’s lips, a little off-beat, but it was music to Yukhei’s ears. He wanted to hear it again, over and over for the rest of his life. “You like me, don’t you?” 

He nodded again. “I love you,” he emphasised, suddenly feeling the need to prove Jungwoo how much, in whatever way was necessary. 

“Mhm.” Jungwoo hum sounded like a purr. His hands were shaking as he pushed his hair behind his ears. Yukhei wanted to ask whether he could do it for him. “And don’t you want to impress me?” 

“Of course.” Yukhei puffed out his chest. The motion set of ripples of pain through his body, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except for Jungwoo. 

“Well,” Jungwoo shifted, looking at Yukhei from under his eyelashes. “I would be so impressed if you got up and got dressed. I want to see how good you look, you know?” 

Yukhei’s body was moving before his mind had even registered the last of Jungwoo’s words. Clothes, he thought as he looked around the room, he needed clothes to dress himself. He panicked when he realised that he had nothing but the hospital robe he was wearing, but then Jungwoo was holding out a cloak for him that was made from the same thick, brown fabric that he himself wore and Yukhei lost no time putting it on. It covered him well, the fact that the fabric matched Jungwoo’s satisfying something deep inside him. 

“Look good?” he asked, eager and anxious to hear Jungwoo’s answer at the same time. 

“Very good.” Jungwoo purred. “Handsome, Lucas, always so handsome. I have to leave, but you’ll come with me, won’t you?” 

“Anywhere,” Yukhei reassured him. He would have followed Jungwoo to the ends of the earth if Jungwoo had asked. “I go with you anywhere you want.”

“That’s very good, Lucas.” Jungwoo’s eyes were still pooling with tears, but he was smiling, if his smile was a little shaky. Yukhei lost the concern rising in his chest when Jungwoo took his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “Hold tight, yes?” 

Yukhei nodded. He didn’t know for what, but none of it mattered as long as Jungwoo was holding his hand. The borders of Jungwoo’s being seemed to shift, gathering shadows and then he felt it like a hammer to his chest. 

The feeling was that of being sucked through a straw too small for his body, pain flaring up in his bones as pressure came down on his wounds and they reopened. It was over as quickly as it had begun. 

They landed with the strike of thunder. 

Yukhei recognised the cobblestone of the street they were in, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen it before. All of his memories were murky in comparison to Jungwoo, who seemed to emanate his own light in the darkness. Yukhei felt his pull like he felt the pull of the moon above. 

He let Jungwoo drag him off the street, to the building they had landed in front of. The façade looked familiar to Yukhei, bringing him feelings of calm and the taste of tangy sweetness on his tongue, but Jungwoo was already pulling him past and into the side alley. 

It revealed another entrance to the building. Where the store front had been vitreous, this door was sturdy wood. Yukhei admired the elegant curl of Jungwoo’s fingers as Jungwoo knocked. 

At first, there was no answer, but Yukhei didn’t mind. It gave him more time to marvel at the way the moonlight illuminated Jungwoo’s face. Jungwoo knocked once more and this time, the door sprung open. 

“I’m here, I’m here! Merlin, it’s nearly two in the morning. Who—” 

Jungwoo gave the wizard no time to finish the sentence. “We need your help.” 

The wizard stared at him before his eyes fell onto Yukhei, and Yukhei saw the question in his eyes settle. “I see. Does anyone know you’re here?” 

Jungwoo shook his head, so Yukhei did too. A beat passed where the wizard appraised them both, but then he was opening the door with a sigh. Yukhei saw Jungwoo sag with relief. 

“Well, come in then. I think there’s a lot to talk about.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lion and the snake will save you.  
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	21. Qian

Steam rose from the three mugs placed on the kitchen table. Jungwoo watched it waft into the air, Lucas’ hand a comforting weight in his. 

“So,” Kun said, not unkindly because he never was. “The last I heard, Lucas was supposed to be at St. Mungo’s and you were supposed to be back in your dormitory at school. I’m really curious to hear what brings you two to my doorstep in the middle of the night.” 

“We need your help.”

“So you said.” The curiosity in Kun’s eyes was still gentle. Jungwoo figured that Yangyang had shown up in worse conditions on his doorstep.

Jungwoo inhaled. “Because of what happened with Jeno, they want to revoke Lucas’ asylum,” he explained. “Jaehyun said that they’re going to send Lucas back home if that happens and that’s bad because they believe in a ‘more activist approach to eradicating the illness.’ I’m not stupid, Kunnie, I know that means they will kill him. They’ll kill him because he’s a werewolf. Because they think he’s a monster.”

Jungwoo felt the uglier side of him rear its head at the implication alone. He had never met a more gentle-hearted person than his Lucas. The idea that anyone would look at him and say such a thing made Jungwoo want to claw out their eyes.

“That’s terrible and I wish I could help you, Woo, but I don’t see how I could.” Kun settled back in his chair, a furrow between his brows. “I don’t have any sway with the Wizengamot. You should try and go to Johnny instead.” 

“He can’t help. He said so himself. The first time they went to court, Sicheng’s defence depended on presenting Lucas’ as a sick child instead of a moon-mad beast. With Johnny showing up to show that Lucas had the Seos’ support, they could sway the more indecisive members of the Wizengamot, but that’s not going to work this time. Johnny said even if he manages to keep Jeno’s dads from joining the trials, the bigots on the Wizengamot won’t pass up on this chance to get rid of Lucas. The date of the hearing is set.”

For the first time since they had sat down, Jungwoo allowed himself to look at Lucas, who was already staring at him. His gaze was starry-eyed, ardent in a way that was not that different from how Lucas had looked at him before Jungwoo had put him in thrall to him. Jungwoo forced a smile onto his face.

Losing Lucas was not an option.

Kun cleared his throat. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Woo, but I still don’t see how I could help you. If even Johnny doesn’t know what to do and Jaehyun and Sicheng’s old strategy has become bootless, I don’t think I can help you either.” 

_But you can._ Jungwoo squeezed his eyes shut. 

“The date of the hearing is set,” he repeated quietly, “but I thought that if Lucas didn’t need it—”

“What? The hearing? I don’t think he has much choice in the matter, Woo.” 

He opened his eyes. “I’m talking about the asylum. I can’t change what has happened or what the Wizengamot plans to do to him, but I thought that if I could change the situation, then he might have a chance.”

There was a small furrow between Kun’s brows as he lifted his mug to his lips, “And how do you want to do that?”

“Lucas wouldn’t need asylum if you adopted him.”

Kun choked, spluttering his tea back into his mug before he managed to set it down. “What?!”

Jungwoo forced himself to hold the older wizard’s gaze. He knew it was audacious to ask, too mad of a suggestion to be taken seriously by anyone else, but he had to try. He had to try everything. 

Kun dabbed at his chin with a napkin, his wide-eyed gaze flicking between Lucas and Jungwoo. “Jungwoo…”

“Please.” Jungwoo was surprised when his own voice gave out. The bravery he had burrowed was used up. “ _Please,_ I wouldn’t ask if there was another way, but they’re going to _kill_ him, Kun, and I can’t—” Jungwoo didn’t know how close he had been to tears until he felt them pooling in his eyes. “I can’t let that happen. _I won’t._ He doesn’t deserve to die.”

“No.” Kun looked at Lucas, who was still only looking at Jungwoo. “No, of course not.”

Lucas directed his smile at Kun when Jungwoo nudged him and Jungwoo could see how it melted Kun’s heart, like it did to everyone who Lucas came across. Lucas was so easy to adore. Jungwoo just hoped that it was enough.

“Well,” Kun cleared his throat, “if—”

They were interrupted by the sound of the front door creaking open and quiet humming that turned into an alarmed whisper of “Why are the lights on? Kun?” and then a yell, “Kun, where are you?”

Ten came running into the kitchen. With his wand drawn and shadows rapidly gathering at his feet, he looked terrifying. Jungwoo wasn’t scared because he knew Ten would never hurt him, but that didn’t mean Lucas knew that. 

And Kun was in the room with them, which changed things. 

For the first time, Jungwoo regretted having come, but there was no hiding this from Ten, who was too quick on his feet, too quick to see what was happening in front of him and understand.

“What is _he_ doing here?” Ten’s grip on his wand tightened as it moved in Lucas’ direction. “Jungwoo, what did you do?”

“Darling,” Kun stood up, hands raised in a placating manner, but Ten barely spared him a glance. 

Jungwoo shrunk under the glare of his mentor. Usually, he would have folded at the slightest sign of Ten being displeased with him, but this time he couldn’t.

Lucas’ life was at stake.

“He’s mine, Ten.” He knew that Ten would understand him if he gave these words to it. “I had to do something.” 

“And you decided to bring him here? Where Kun is?” 

“I asked Kun to adopt Lucas.” 

All the colour drained from Ten’s face. Where he had been yelling, his words came out in a whisper, “You did _what?”_ He turned his head towards Kun. “And what did you say?” 

Kun said nothing, but something in his face seemed to be answer enough.

“No.” Ten vehemently shook his head. The shadows gathering at his feet rose to wrap around his shins. 

“Ten.” Kun tried to wrap his arms around Ten, but Ten stepped out of his reach, closer to Jungwoo and Lucas still sitting at the table. 

“They’re going to expel your werewolf boyfriend from the country because he mauled one of your friends and you want us to adopt him?”

Jungwoo felt his eyes water. “Lucas is not dangerous.”

They all looked at Lucas, who was still staring at Jungwoo with that serene smile on his face. 

Ten’s eyes widened as he realised what Kun had missed. The anger in his voice gave way to shock. “Jungwoo…”

Jungwoo jumped up from his seat before Ten could finish his sentence. He grasped onto Ten’s hands, tugging him towards the hallway. 

He knew Kun would kick him out in a heartbeat if he caught wind of Jungwoo having put a deliberate charm on Lucas. It was what the bad woman had done to Kun and Jungwoo knew that Kun still had nightmares about it. Ten and he had spent months of Jungwoo’s fourth year searching for an herbal solution together. 

“Please, let me explain,” he begged as soon as they were out of the kitchen. “I won’t lie.” Ten hated lies. “I’ll tell you everything!” 

“You charmed the poor boy to come with you?” Ten hissed as soon as Jungwoo had closed the door of Kun’s study behind them. “What happened to the boy that asked—no, _begged_ me to brew a potion that would take the veela blood out of his veins when he was thirteen? Because from what I can see, Jungwoo, you all but doused the boy in your charms. He didn’t even flinch when I talked about his death, he was so busy mooning over you!” 

Jungwoo felt something inside him tear, his lungs drawing tight and suddenly it was like he had forgotten how to breathe. 

What Ten didn’t know was that he did despise himself. Since the moment he had put Lucas in thrall to him, every snide remark that the other students at Hogwarts had ever made about him and his veela blood were echoing in his mind in a constant loop. But he couldn’t bring himself to put an end to it. 

He didn’t know how Lucas was going to react when he lifted the spell, but he figured that anything was better than the alternative. Jungwoo could live with Lucas hating him for the rest of his life, as long as it was a long one, untouched by the rulings of the Wizengamot that would send him back home. That would send him away from Jungwoo. 

Ten’s eyes widened as he crumpled to the ground. “Woo!”

“Please,” he grasped onto Ten’s hand. “Please, Ten. I love him. I didn’t know where else to go.”

Jungwoo wanted to scream at how unfair it was, that he had found the one person who could love him truly, just to have everything unfold like this. 

“I love him so much, I won’t survive it if they take him away!” 

Jungwoo saw that mercy in Ten’s eyes, but he knew that it came at a price. Ten’s hand was gentle as it wiped the tears from his cheeks, the shadows caressing them both as Ten joined him on the ground. “It’s okay, baby, we’ll figure it out. You know I’ll always help you. But you have to lift the spell, Jungwoo. Even if he’s a werewolf, no one should make his decisions for him. I’ll listen to you now, but the moment we leave this room, you go back and you break your charm.”

*

Renjun didn’t mind the quiet. In the hospital, it was an eerie kind of silence that cloaked the hallways at night, but he wasn’t afraid. He had no time to mind the chill.

Healer Seo’s office was on the third floor, the last of half a dozen doors with brassen signs on them that announced their usual occupants. The door to the Healer’s office was ajar, swung open when Renjun pushed his hand against the handle. He waited until he was inside the room before he tapped the top of his head with his wand, the disillusionment charm trickling down his body like cool water.

“Taeyong’s gonna be so mad at you when he realises you duplicated his key.”

Donghyuck smiled at him from where he was sitting on top of Taeyong’s desk, his legs swinging as he licked chocolate from his thumb. He was in his school robes like Renjun should have been if he hadn’t begged his mother to write him a sick notice that allowed him to stay at the hospital for a little longer.

Renjun raised an eyebrow. “And when he realises you broke into his secret sweets stash.”

“Taeyong loves me.” Donghyuck shrugged. “Not so much right now, but he’s joining a long list of people whose favourite I’m not at the moment, so I’m not too worried.”

Renjun frowned as he sat down in the chair opposing Donghyuck’s legs. “How did the meeting with Heechul go?”

“We were in his office for three hours.” The glee faded from Donghyuck’s eyes as his shoulders drew tight with what Renjun knew to be guilt, even if Donghyuck tried to hide it from him. “Mum cried. Dad blubbered. Eventually, Uncle had to come and they worked it out.”

“Did you get expelled?”

“No.” Donghyuck frowned down at the chocolates on his lap. He closed the box. “I’ve got detention until the rest of my school days and if I ever even so much as show up to class in mismatched socks that’s it for me, but they didn’t expel me.” There was no mirth to the way Donghyuck wriggled his fingers. “The magic of the Seos. Now I get to be the kid that used dark magic at school and got away with it.”

Renjun nodded. Considering all aspects, that was the best outcome they could have hoped for when it came to the _Caecus Lucis._

“What about Mark?”

Donghyuck raised a single eyebrow at him. “You think I let him walk in there with me?”

Renjun snorted. Of course not. Mark was off-limits. He always had been. Renjun knew Donghyuck would have rather run the risk of getting expelled a thousand times over than let Mark take the fall with him.

“How did he react?”

“He…wasn’t a fan.”

Renjun waited patiently.

“Fine, I had to bribe Yangyang to help me lock him in the Gryffindor Tower.”

Renjun grinned. “Evil.”

“Necessary.”

“He’ll forgive you.”

“He will.” Donghyuck sighed and set the box of chocolates back into the drawer he had stolen it from. “How’s Jeno?”

“Slowly getting better.” Renjun sighed. “Very slowly. His eyes look like Lucas’ now. It’s freaky, they glow in the dark.”

Donghyuck bit his lip. “So, he’ll be a werewolf?”

“We don’t know yet, but Healer Shim said it’s likely.”

Renjun wanted to say it. _I love him. Jaemin loves him. We all love each other._ But there was so much more to it than these simple words and Renjun wasn’t ready to share that part of himself yet. He knew Donghyuck would understand when the time came.

“If you can spare another ten minutes, we can go and see him? Donghae and Eunhyuk took Jaemin home for the night because he wouldn’t stop bothering the nurses. There’ll be no one else.”

A faint smile appeared on Donghyuck’s face, but Renjun didn’t miss the hesitance to it. He sighed and took his best friend’s hand, squeezed just harshly enough that the zip of pain washed the sorrow from Donghyuck’s face.

“He doesn’t blame you, Donghyuck. It’s Jeno. He’s more worried that you think he hates you than that he actually hates you.”

Donghyuck’s answer came out mumbled, “I wouldn’t hold it against him if he did.”

Renjun all but snarled. It was vexing, to see his best friend so meek. “Stop being stupid. This pity party is of no use. If you want to repent so badly, do it by Jeno’s bedside where he can fuss over you.”

Donghyuck bit his lip, but he nodded. Renjun was pleased when he managed to get them both as far as the door before Donghyuck hesitated once more.

“You know,” he started, “they might’ve actually kicked me out, but Jeno’s dads didn’t show up to the meeting to press for my expulsion. Do you know anything about that?”

Renjun smiled. “Jeno wouldn’t let them. When the memo from Heechul arrived, he sat up for the first time and not only told his dads that he was legally an adult and they had no right to speak over him, but also that he would never speak _to_ them again if they followed the invitation. It was awesome, you should have seen it.”

Donghyuck looked a little dazed at the information, and Renjun jumped on the opportunity to finally steer them out of Taeyong’s office and in the direction of the intensive care wing.

“It’ll be fine,” he told Donghyuck just before they went into the room with the swallow carved into the door. “Things are slowly going to get better.”

*

The boy was looking at him, eyes large and terrified and Kun felt something inside him soften. 

“Would you like some more tea?”

It was an almost comically mundane thing to ask after Ten’s rather dramatic entrance, but Kun felt like there were little things in the world that couldn’t be solved with a hot cup of tea and the right intentions. 

Lucas nodded, his eyes darting back to the door where Jungwoo had disappeared. Kun understood that. He would have felt nervous too if he had been woken up in the middle of the night and taken to the house of someone who was essentially a stranger. 

“They’ll be back in a few,” he reassured Lucas before he turned towards the stove. 

The fire started with a swish of his wand and he filled the kettle with a water spell before he placed it on the iron hob. Lucas was humming when he turned back around, tracing unfamiliar patterns into the wood of the kitchen table. His gaze was clouded as he did so, as if he wasn’t fully there, but Kun could understand that too. He was sure there were a lot of things occupying Lucas’ mind that took him out of Kun’s kitchen.

The boy smiled when Kun set his mug, now steaming once more, on the table in front of him. “I know you.” 

“You do know me.” Kun reciprocated his smile. “We met downstairs in my café before.”

“Kun.” Lucas said his name with care, as if he had taken care to memorise it the first time he head heard it. 

“That’s right. I’m Kun.”

“Hello, I’m Lucas.” 

Kun smiled. “I know, Lucas.” 

He allowed himself to study the boy as he settled back into his own seat.

For such a tall boy, Lucas’ movements were surprisingly delicate as he picked up his mug. Like Kun’s name, he handled it with care, as if he was afraid to break the ceramic if he so much as looked at it the wrong way. Kun felt the strings of his heart draw tight. He understood that fear, to bring destruction to the things he touched. 

“Once upon a time,” he said, waiting for Lucas to look at him before he continued, “I did something terrible. It was not my choice. I did it while my body and mind were governed by someone else, but I could never quite accept that excuse the way other people did. It was still me who did the terrible thing. It was still me.” 

He smiled into his own mug, the ceramic warm against his palm.

“I don’t know how you’re feeling exactly, because I’m not you and I’m not a werewolf, but I’d like to think I do have a little bit of an understanding of how you feel right now. How terrified you are. And how guilty you feel.”

Lucas cast his eyes down when Kun looked up, but Kun could still see it in his face, in every beaten down line of his body. He reached his hand out to pat the boy’s hair and smiled when Lucas leaned into the touch. Like this, he reminded Kun more of a puppy than a wolf. 

“I’m sorry,” Lucas said. It was probably the most earnest apology Kun had ever heard, and the most miserable one too. 

“Don’t be sorry, Lucas.” 

Kun was happy that this moment happened just between the two of them. He felt like it should have been. 

“My answer is yes, by the way.” 

Lucas looked up so fast Kun was afraid he might’ve snapped his own neck. 

“I know it’s not much,” Kun laughed at the confusion in Lucas’ eyes as he gestured towards their surroundings, “but can this be your home if you want to.” He allowed his voice to soften, carrying in his tone what his words might never have been able to express. “You can be Lucas Qian if you want to. I’m up for it, the adoption thing. If you want to be in this family, then you are welcome.” 

For a moment, Lucas looked like he had been given the sun, but then his expression dimmed. His eyes flickered towards the door. “But Ten…” 

“Ten has made some decisions in the past that I have disagreed with. I guess this is the time where I make a decision that he disagrees with. He will come around. If he—if he loves me then he will understand why I must say yes.” 

Kun’s chest drew tight at the thought of Ten not understanding. He thought of luggage piled up beside their door, of Ten leaving without the reassurance that he was going to come back. The thought took the air from Kun’s lungs, but he pushed his chest out against the feeling and tilted his chin up. 

At fifteen, he had had to be brave for himself. Now, he could be brave for this boy who needed him, who was just as much a slave to the other governing his body than Kun had been. There was a bout of hysterical laughter somewhere stuck in his throat. He and Ten had talked about getting a bigger pet than Susan before. Now, if he had to, Kun was just going to raise the puppy on his own. 

“Kun.” 

As if he had been privy to Kun’s thoughts, Ten appeared in the door, still looking unamused but a lot less likely to send Lucas flying out the window. He silently beckoning Kun to come with him. 

Kun smiled at Lucas in quiet reassurance before he got up to follow Ten out of the kitchen, bypassing Jungwoo on his way in. He wasn’t surprised when Ten led him out of the flat, down the flight of stairs that connected their living quarters with the back of the café and out into the small garden Ten had started in their backyard. 

The deep scarlet flowers at the very back had always been Ten’s favourite and so that was where they went. Kun let Ten say hello to his creations. He knew nothing quite calmed Ten’s mind the way a caress of his plants could.

He felt bad that he had to disturb him, but it had to be said. “I’m not going to change my mind, Ten. I want to adopt the boy.”

Ten shook his head. “I can’t allow it, Kun. If he hurts you and I’m not there—” 

“Jungwoo already said it, Tennie. He’s not dangerous. Not outside of the full moon.”

“Sure.” Ten snorted. “We saw how not dangerous he is outside of the full moon.”

The derision with which Ten spoke make something heat up in Kun’s veins, ugly and hot and unlike him, but the words had come out of his mouth before he could keep them in, “I know commitment is a strange idea to you, Ten, but it is not to me and I’m willing to commit to the boy if it will save his life.” 

Ten whipped his head around at the sharpness of Kun’s tone. “What’s that supposed do you mean?” 

The confused tilt of Ten’s eyebrows amplified the anger simmering in Kun’s blood. As if Ten wasn’t aware what was going on. “You know what I mean.”

“No,” Ten was quick to rise to the challenge. “I really don’t.” 

Kun felt his jaw set. “I will adopt him, Ten. That’s not up for debate.”

“Just like that?” Kun hated himself for how hurt Ten looked, which only aided the fire in his veins. “Why are you talking like this only affects you?”

“Because it is only myself, isn’t it? You’re never here, Ten.” 

Ten gaped at him. Kun thought that if he had hexed Ten right then and there, he probably would’ve looked less shocked. “That’s not—” Ten’s chest rose and fell. “That’s not true. I’m here.” 

“Sure. Right now, you’re here, but for how long, Ten?” Kun quieted his voice. He didn’t want to be ugly. He was just tired. “I know it’s hard for you to stick around. I know why you must go sometimes. But if that is something you have to do and I have to understand it, I hope you can understand why I can’t just throw the boy out the door.”

“Kun.” Ten’s words slowed as if he was questioning Kun’s sanity and wanted to make sure Kun could hear him. “My darling, what actually are you talking about?”

Kun furrowed his brows. Could Ten really be so dense? “Johnny and Jaehyun,” he said. “You leave, because it gets too hard for you to watch them live happily with their partners sometimes.”

Ten stared at him. Ten stared at him for such a long time that Kun felt himself shiver as the cold night’s air seeped into his body.

“Kun,” Ten said eventually. His tongue darted out of his mouth to wet his lips. “Kun, do you think that I’m still in love with Jaehyun and Johnny?”

“I know you are.” Kun shrugged, helpless. _A Slytherin’s love is eternal._ He had long accepted that he would never hold Ten’s heart the same way Ten held his.

He yelped when he was flicked on the forehead.

“You’re really so stupid, Kun! How can you even _think—_ ” Ten’s anger seemed to abate when he caught sight of Kun’s expression. Where his tongue was sharp, his touch was gentle as he grasped onto Kun’s face. “Kun, I’m not in love with my best friends.”

“They are me and I am them, but looking back I just… I was just terrified, Kun. I didn’t know anything else but them. I thought them giving their hearts to other people meant me losing my spot, but that’s not true. I just didn’t get that until I fell in love myself. It just gets bigger.”

Ten placed a hand on his heart. “It only ever becomes _more_ inside here. With every person you let in, your heart expands, but it’s not bound by the size of your rib cage. My brothers love me and I love them, but I’m not in love with them anymore. I haven’t thought that way about them since I was fifteen.”

“But you leave,” Kun argued weakly. “You leave and you don’t come back for months.” 

Ten’s laugh was full of disbelief. “I leave because my dear cousins decided to open a fashion house and left me to take over the family trade empire. You think I’d willingly work with this many numbers if there was another way not to ruin my parents’ hard work?”

“But—I thought for so long—”

“First mistake. You’re sexy when you brood, but you get too in your head sometimes. You should have talked to me.”

“I’m sorry.” With the truth laid out bare in front of him, Kun felt so foolish. “I just thought—”

“What?” Ten scoffed. “That I didn’t love you?”

“You never told me.”

“I tell you all the time!”

“No.” Kun furrowed his brows. “When did you ever—”

“The bottom of my letters! I always end my letters by telling you that I love you!”

Kun frantically shook his head. “No.” He would’ve remembered if Ten had ever written him such words. All he had ever gotten were travel updates and then a drawing or two at the bottom, along with some scribbles. “Wait, the scribbles?”

Ten gasped. “It’s not scribbles! It’s _I love you_ in the language of the place I’m at!”

“I didn’t—” Kun felt dazed. He thought of how many letters he had, stored away in boxes in his office. There were so many, and all of them had the scribbles. “I didn’t get that.”

“I’m beginning to see that now,” Ten’s voice was terribly dry, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that made Kun’s heart soar. “Will you believe it if I tell you now? That I love you? Because I love you, in all your stupid Gryffindor glory, Kun Qian, and I don’t mind telling you!” 

Ten’s lips stretched into a grin as he yelled the last of his words, loudly enough so that all their neighbours might hear.

Kun was afraid to give in to the hope blooming in his chest, but he wanted to. He really wanted to. “You love me?” 

“I do.” Ten pressed a kiss to the inside of Kun’s palm. “I really do. What did you even think I was doing here, if you never realised how much you meant to me?”

Kun shrugged. “Diversion? A convenient distraction?”

Immediately, the joy vanished from Ten’s face. He bared his teeth. “It makes me mad that you think so lowly of yourself. You’re not second to me, Kun. You’re first.”

Kun couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on his face. He liked that. He liked it even more when Ten snaked his arms around his necks and kissed the last of the doubt from Kun’s lips. They had kissed a thousand times before, but still Kun felt every inch of his body tingle with warmth where Ten was pressed against him.

With his eyes closed and Ten’s lips against his own, he was blissed out and it would have been easy to pretend to be unaware of the world beyond Ten’s mouth and Ten’s fingers skirting along the hem of his flannel pyjama shirt, but that didn’t erase the two boys from their kitchen.

Lucas still needed Kun.

Feeling every centimetre of distance acutely, Kun pulled away. “I want to adopt the boy, Tennie. His life is one the line. Woo said even Johnny and Jaehyun don’t know how to help him and if I can, then I want to do it.”

Ten sighed. “I know you do. I’m still not in favour of the adoption, but I’ve accepted long ago that you’re incorrigibly good.” His expression changed as he looked up from their intertwined hands. “I might be persuaded by a trade off.” 

“A trade off?”

Ten nodded, his eyes glittering. “I thought about it. I want a name for a name. If the pitiful werewolf boy gets to be a Qian, I get to be one too.” 

Kun felt like his head was spinning. “You mean—” 

“Yes.” Ten’s grin turned feline. “Johnny beat me to it, but I’m not to be outdone by Jaehyun.” 

Kun felt breathless, his grip on Ten tightening. “Ten.” 

Ten shushed him, pressing a finger against his mouth as if they were sharing a secret between them. It was all Kun had ever wanted, to be the one Ten shared his secrets with. “A promise, darling Kun. It doesn’t require immediate action. Just know that if you make a deal with a Slytherin, we will come and collect the dues eventually.” 

“I agree to it.” Kun felt breathless. “I agree to the trade off.” 

Ten’s smile widened into a grin. “Spilling blood after midnight is unsavory, so we can seal it with a kiss.”

Kun gladly gave it to him, and then another just to make sure.

Ten laughed against his mouth before he pulled away, his expression solemn. “I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that I love you, Kun. This is my home.” Kun followed his gaze as Ten looked around. “If you want to open it up to the boy, then so be it.”

Kun nodded. “All is forgiven.” 

“Of course, it is. You’re so gracious, such impeccable manners. Remember when you fought the giant squid for me?” 

Kun chuckled at the memory. He remembered it well, the day at the lake with their friends and how Ten had clung to him while the Giant Squid’s tentacles had splashed water around them. He had felt invincible then, fearless. He liked to think a part of him still was like that. The moment was broken when Ten stepped away from him, but Ten grasped onto his fingers easily and Kun let himself be pulled back towards the house.

Their home.

“It will be hard, won’t it be?” Kun asked as they left the cold. “Saving the boy? If even your friends don’t know how?”

“Yes, but don’t despair, my darling.” Ten led the way up the stairs. “There is a way. If you want to adopt the boy, I’ll make sure that it happens.”

“How can you be so confident?”

“Because Johnny and Jaehyun have something that I don’t.”

In front of their door, they turned to look at each other. “And what’s that?”

Ten’s smile was as tantalising as the smooth windings of a sidewinder. “Morals.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative chapter title: The Lion And The Snake.  
>   
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	22. Trials

Yukhei felt every worrying thought in his mind abate when Jungwoo came back into the kitchen. Despite the reddened state of his eyes, he looked as beautiful as ever, drawing Yukhei in with a single look. Yukhei got to his feet when Jungwoo reached out for him.

He was surprised when Jungwoo threw his arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug that was tight enough to squeeze the air from his lungs. Yukhei lost no time wrapping his arms around Jungwoo’s waist in return.

He didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew that Jungwoo needed him and there was nothing he wouldn’t have given to make sure Jungwoo was okay. His entire being was thrumming with the feeling of having Jungwoo in his arms.

Jungwoo’s breath was wet against his neck, a small “sorry” escaping him when he pulled up his nose right into Yukhei’s ear, but Yukhei only shook his head and held on tighter.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

He grieved when Jungwoo pulled away from him, mourning every place where Jungwoo had been pressed up against him and now wasn’t, but his heart was mended a bit by the smile Jungwoo gave him, his bright purple eyes holding Yukhei in place like hooks in a fish. “Can you tell me you love me one more time?”

“Of course I love you.” The words left his lips before he could even think them. He repeated them, just to make sure Jungwoo understood how sincere he was. “I love you, Jungwoo.”

Jungwoo nodded, his bottom lip wobbling as he smiled.

Yukhei leaned into it when Jungwoo placed a hand on his cheek. He thought his heart might pound out of his chest when Jungwoo leaned in, a small hitch to his breath before their lips met.

Kissing Jungwoo set every of his nerve endings alight, the grip he still had on Jungwoo’s waist tightening instinctively. With Jungwoo’s mouth on his, he didn’t notice the cold at first.

It was a gradual process. The warmth that had made him feel all fuzzy inside seeped from his skin and the tingly feeling that had taken over his body faded when Jungwoo broke their kiss. He was left shivering, his body hurting for the first time since he had left his hospital bed.

He felt panic rise in his chest when he noticed that Jungwoo had stepped away from him.

“Woo?” His voice broke.

Jungwoo backed away further, his back hitting the door Kun and Ten had left open. Kun and Ten…

Yukhei blinked, trying to reorientate himself now that it wasn’t Jungwoo anymore who tethered him to the world. He could remember what had happened the past few hours, but his memories were clouded over, Jungwoo the only clear thing in them. He remembered being at the hospital. He remembered that he hadn’t wanted to leave.

“You took me here.” Where his every thought and feeling had been taken up by Jungwoo, he felt his own self snap back into place. “How did you…?”

“I’m sorry.” Jungwoo pressed a hand over his mouth. “I’m so sorry, Lucas. You have to believe me that I did it for you.”

Still blinking the stars out of his eyes, Yukhei looked down at himself. His chest hurt. He pressed a hand against his side, the brown fabric of his robes soaking through red when he pressed down on it.

“Do you hate me now?”

Yukhei looked up when Jungwoo came back into his space. His steps were hesitant, eyes still wide with fear, but Yukhei understood now that Jungwoo wasn’t afraid of him. He was afraid of what he had done.

Yukhei could understand that.

As soon as Jungwoo was close enough, he reached out and pulled him close, burying his face in Jungwoo’s neck. Even without Jungwoo’s charm laid on him at full force, their proximity was the most blissful thing to him. This was where the hurt went away.

“I’m not angry.” He wasn’t. He was a dead man walking and Jungwoo was the last thing that made him feel alive. He didn’t like what Jungwoo had done, but it was easy to be forgiving when he could give forgiveness freely. “I love you.”

When he felt like he could do so without keeling over, he raised his head and pressed a kiss to Jungwoo’s jaw, his cheek and then his mouth.

“I thought you might not anymore.” Jungwoo pulled up his nose again, looking sheepish as Yukhei wiped his tears for him.

Not for the first time, Yukhei wished that they had met when they had been younger, before he had outgrown the chance to receive markings for his devotion. But even without them, his feelings were unwavering.

“Since the first moment.” He smiled. “Since then and now and tomorrow. I’ve always loved you.”

Jungwoo looked down between them. “I’m sorry I couldn’t accept it the first time you told me. I just was so scared.” New tears filled his eyes. “You grew me flowers and I didn’t even accept them.”

“I’ll grow you new ones.”

Jungwoo smiled at him and even with his eyes red-rimmed and his nose running, he was still the most beautiful boy Yukhei had ever seen. Yukhei pulled him close once more, just relishing in the feeling of Jungwoo in his arms, the feeling of Jungwoo’s blunt nails pressing into his back. He could have lived in this moment forever, where he was holding Jungwoo and Jungwoo was holding him and all their problems seemed to wait at the door.

But they’d step through eventually.

It was a cough at the door that made them step apart.

Ten’s grin was wolfish as he leaned against the doorframe. Much to Yukhei’s relief, he looked a whole lot less murderous than he had before. Yukhei wondered if he had to attribute that to Kun’s hand on the small of his back.

“I’m sorry,” Ten said slowly. “We don’t mean to interrupt you two lovebirds, but it’s time that this night draws to a close.”

Kun nodded along with his words, a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth as if he was proud of Ten for saying something halfway civil. 

The effect was lost when Ten looked directly at Yukhei and said, “Don’t mind me, puppy, but you don’t look so good and seeing the blood on your robes frankly makes me want to throw up, so it’s time you leave.”

Yukhei felt his centre of gravity shift when Jungwoo stepped in front of him. “Where do you want to send him?”

Ten didn’t seem very impressed. “Back to the hospital, young one. We better be quick, too, before they notice he’s been gone.”

“But—”

“Jungwoo,” Kun’s voice was calm in comparison to Ten’s, but just as unwavering in its conviction. “I know you feel like you’re giving up on him by giving him back to them, but that’s what needs to be done for now. We’re going to try for the adoption, but that’s going to be a process. Until then it’s best if Lucas is on his best behaviour, and that includes being there in the morning when the nurses come in to check up on him. We’re not forcing you to let go yet, we’re just asking you to let him go where he needs to be.”

For a long moment, Jungwoo stood unmoving, looking both adults in the eyes before he caved. It was a testament to how much he trusted them that he did. “Fine.”

Ten let out a delighted noise and then he was skipping over to ruffle Jungwoo’s hair. “Good! Now, don’t look so sulky, Woo! I told you I’d do right by him, didn’t I?”

“You did.” Jungwoo leaned into the hug Ten offered him.

Yukhei was surprised when Ten hugged him too. He was sure it must have looked comical, considering that Ten was a half head smaller than him, but Ten’s fingers were strong as they curled around his arms and his voice was deadly quiet when he whispered into Yukhei’s ear, “I’ll do everything in my power to save you. That’s a promise.”

“Thank you,” Yukhei whispered back.

“You’re welcome.” He could feel Ten’s smile against his ear. “I’m not heartless, puppy. I want you to live too. Just know that if you ever hurt my family, I will do things to you that will make the Wizengamot look like a bunch of old, blubbering fools that they are. The Law will protect you from them, but nothing in the world can protect you from me, got it?”

Yukhei set his jaw and nodded.

If it had still been October and he had still been new, he might have been too terrified to move, but he no longer felt that way. He had been Ten once upon a time, threatening vengeance for his family if only for the sake of it. If only because it had allowed him to let go enough to let change happen. He understood.

“Thank you,” he said again, addressing both Ten and Kun this time. He felt a little better once Jungwoo took his hand.

Kun smiled at him. “You are very welcome, Lucas.”

Ten grinned, black gathering at his feet once more, the air around him rippling and then he was gone, followed by the clasp of thunder. Yukhei was glad that he wasn’t the only one who startled, Jungwoo flinching and taking a step further into his side.

“Merlin! Where did he go?”

“Starting the process.” Kun pried his eyes away from the spot where Ten had disappeared. He smiled at them. “Now, let’s get you back to the hospital.”

*

Yukhei felt a sense of déjà vu as he sat on the creaking, wooden bench inside the courtroom.

Like the first time he had been tried, the doctor was next to him while Sicheng on the floor argued for his life. The difference was that there were more people this time, more people to support him even when the odds were stacked higher against him.

Next to Taeyong sat Kun and a few rows further up behind them, Doyoung was sitting with Yuta and Taeil, who Yukhei knew was supposed to be teaching a class at this hour in the morning. Everyone had come, except for Ten. Yukhei hadn’t seen him at all since the night in Kun’s kitchen. He didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad sign.

Evading the glares of the elderly Wizengamot members, open in their hatred for him now that he had done something to justify them in their beliefs that he was a monster, he lowered his head and tried to think himself someplace else.

If he focussed hard enough, he could imagine that he was at Hogwarts again, sitting on the plush sofas of the Slytherin common room and watching his friends gorge themselves on chocolate frogs and the sizzling candies Chenle liked.

“Enough!” the Chief Warlock’s bellowing voice startled Yukhei out of his short-lived reverie.

From the looks of it, Sicheng had gotten into it with the same Wizengamot member that had denounced Yukhei during his first trial, both of them red in the face and the Wizengamot member looking about ready to pull his wand and take care of Yukhei himself.

The Chief Warlock called them both to order by raising his hand. “That’s quite enough from both of your sides. I think this arguing back and forth has been going on for long enough. Any further grievances, you may sort outside of these doors. We will hold the vote now.”

The air filled with low murmurs and impatient rustling, one purple-robed witch letting out an audible “Finally!”

A voice cut clear through the noise, “You don’t get to do that!”

Yukhei could feel Taeyong next to him stiffen and then he was grabbing onto Yukhei’s hand, whether to reassure Yukhei or himself, Yukhei didn’t know, but they both watched as Kun stood up. Every single pair of eyes in the courtroom fell on him, except for Yukhei’s.

He was too busy feeling hope. 

He hadn’t heard Ten come in, but there Ten was, standing in the row behind them. His hands were clasped behind his back and in between them Yukhei could see a sliver of white, a scroll that might hold his life. When Ten noticed him looking, he winked.

The Chief Warlock squinted down at Kun, clearly miffed at the interruption. “And why is that?”

The weight of the Chief Warlock’s gaze had made lower men cower and yet Kun stood unwavering. He stood unwavering for Yukhei. Yukhei swallowed down the tears scratching at his throat.

“Because as of this morning, Lucas is my son. I have adopted him. He no longer depends on his approved asylum status and therefore this entire trial has just become obsolete.”

There was a single heartbeat of pin-drop silence, and then chaos.

“This is outrageous!” one of the Wizengamot members clambered to their feet, her screeching voice making Yukhei’s hair stand on end.

Ten’s grin turned into a snarl as the elderly witch leaned down to glare at Kun. “Clearly, you’ve only done so because you have been coerced. No wizard in their right mind would adopt an abomination!”

“Watch what you say, lady,” Taeyong hissed under his breath, so unlike his usual gentle demeanour that it startled a laugh out of Yukhei.

The sound of the gavel made him flinch, the rest of the Wizengamot turning their heads. The Chief Warlock wasn’t looking at any of them, instead rubbing the point between his eyebrows while Jaehyun, sitting next to him, looked concerned.

“Enough with the yelling!” the Chief Warlock yelled eventually. “This is a civilised court. Mr Qian, do you have the necessary paper work to prove your statement?”

Kun looked at Ten, who grasped onto his hand, pressing a delicate kiss to the inside of his wrist before pressing the paper into his hand.

Kun’s smile was serene as he held up the scroll for inspection. “I do.”

“Send it up, then!”

Kun did so with a flick of his wand, the paper fluttering up and into the Wizengamot’s hands like a bird. Yukhei held his breath as the Chief Warlock read, his eyes scanning the document twice over before he set it down.

“Well, it seems that what you say Mr Qian is true. I hope you are aware of magnitude of the responsibility you have taken on, though, Mr Qian.”

“We are,” Ten said loudly, proudly, his hand slipping into Kun’s.

Yukhei was pretty sure it was a trick of the light, but for a moment it looked like the Chief Warlock was suppressing a smile.

“Very well. Then, I fear Mr Qian was right when he said this court meeting has just become obsolete. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I have no choice but to declare this case dismissed.”

The final bang of the gavel cut the restraints around Yukhei’s chest that had kept him from breathing. He exhaled, disbelieving and overwhelmed and so immensely relieved. He felt like his soul might leave his body until Taeyong pulled him into a hug, holding him together like he had the first time they had been here. Like he had done every time Yukhei had needed him.

“I’m so proud of you.” Taeyong beamed at him with teary eyes once he had pulled away and Yukhei understood why Donghyuck had once told him that Taeyong’s smile could end wars. “You made it through, Lucas. It’s over now.” 

“It’s over now.” Yukhei parroted. He couldn’t quite believe it himself.

He felt dazed as they got to their feet. He could see Sicheng waiting for him out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Doyoung, Yuta and Taeil descend the stairs in big steps to get to their row, but he had to hug someone else first.

Kun was laughing as he was kissed by Ten. “You just had to wait until the last minute, didn’t you?”

Ten shrugged. “Better late than never.”

Yukhei hated to interrupt them, but he cleared his throat. They both turned their heads and Yukhei felt a little lighter at the earnest smile Ten gave him. There were words he probably should have said, but he didn’t want to wait any longer. He all but fell into them, these people who had saved him, throwing his arms around them both.

“Thank you,” was the only thing that escaped him. “Thank you so much.”

Kun laughed into his ear. “That’s okay, Lucas.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it, puppy.” Ten’s hand was surprisingly gentle as he patted Yukhei’s shoulder. “You’re a Qian now. Don’t forget.”

Yukhei shook his head. “Never.”

He clung to them for only a heartbeat longer before he decided to give them room to breathe again. He figured that it was okay. He was part of their family now. He had the rest of his life to come up with words to thank them.

The realisation that he had a life, his own life stretching out in front of him that no one could take away from him again, made him feel wobbly on his knees. Still, he found the strength to get to Sicheng next, who himself was holding onto his own family.

“I’m just saying, babe, if you want me to make that old bastard juror apologise, I can!”

“No, Yuta.” Sicheng pulled him in, pressed a kiss to the corner of Yuta’s pout. “No more fighting for today.”

“I’d be down,” Ten quipped from Kun’s side. His grin turned feral as he looked up to where the last of the Wizengamot members were lingering on the stands. “I have some words for that old hag who questioned Kun’s integrity.”

“No,” Doyoung said. His expression was distant as he trailed their surroundings with his eyes, the jury stands and court benches and floor, but his smile was sincere when he looked at his friends. “We should leave.”

“I agree,” Jaehyun said as he finally reached them, the purple hat that was part of his uniform wedged under one arm. “Lucas has spent enough time in this courtroom. Let’s go.”

The haunted look in Doyoung’s eyes disappeared when Jaehyun took his hand, leading him up the first couple of steps towards the double doors.

Yukhei followed them eagerly, Taeil walking by his side. His teacher had been quiet so far, but there was a small, pleased smile on his face when he turned to look at Yukhei.

“I’m really glad about the outcome of this day, Lucas.” 

“Me too.”

“I’m also sorry,” Yukhei frowned when Taeil did, “I can’t help but feel like I failed you. I should have protected you better.”

“No.” Yukhei’s eyes went wide. “No blame for you. You protected me during the full moon. What happened was not the moon.”

Taeil’s answering smile only lit up half of his face, but Yukhei didn’t worry. He had time. He would make his moon guardian see that there was no one Yukhei would have rather had by his side.

It was Taeyong’s gasp, more than anything, that forewarned him when he stepped out of the double doors and into the Ministry corridor. His eyes were immediately drawn towards Johnny, who looked as imposing and venerable as he had been the first time Yukhei had seen him in these halls.

Johnny was standing with his back leaned against the wall opposing the doors. Yukhei had wondered where he had been during the trial, but he found his answer rather quickly. Feeling giddy, laughter tickle his throat, he held his breath until he was standing right behind the three people facing Johnny, too busy pleading their case to the older wizard to notice him.

“No, you don’t understand, Johnny. We just want to take a peek inside! Maybe stay for a couple of minutes!”

“Five minutes maximum!”

“Yeah, five minutes maximum! We don’t have to see all of the trial. We just want to make sure he’s okay!”

They startled when Yukhei cleared his throat and he couldn’t help but laugh at the spooked look on their faces as he turned around.

“Hello,” he said. “I’m Lucas Qian.”

“Lucas!” He was ready when Jungwoo all but jumped him. His arms easily wrapped around Jungwoo’s waist to steady him and keep them both from toppling over. Where he had been lighter than air, he felt himself settle. Even the other in him, raging at being so deeply underground, quieted with Jungwoo in his arms.

“How did it go?” Jungwoo searched his eyes before he looked at the adults that had emerged with him for confirmation.

“Smooth as a sidewinder.” Ten grinned. “Lucas is our youngin now.”

Jungwoo left Yukhei’s arms to throw himself at Ten instead, which gave Yukhei a chance to greet his other friends.

“You came,” he said, feeling touched.

Mark smiled at him, if tentatively. “Of course, man. We—” He shared a quick glance with Donghyuck. “We weren’t sure whether you’d want us to come, but—”

“You came here.” Because it was the most joyous day of his new life, Yukhei felt no hesitation in sweeping both of his friends up into a bear hug. “Thank you for coming here.”

“Don’t mention it,” Donghyuck wheezed, but he looked happy when Yukhei set him back down on his feet.

“Man, I’m so glad to see you well,” Mark beamed, visibly more at ease now that he knew Yukhei didn’t hold a grudge against him.

Yukhei could still see remnants of guilt in Donghyuck’s eyes, but he’d clear them soon enough.

_Hogwarts can be your home if you want to. You just have to let yourself be found._

It was Jungwoo that he had met first, but he knew that it had been Donghyuck’s good will that had given him his friends. His friends, who had come to see him receive another chance at life.

He didn’t hesitate to throw an arm around each of their shoulders, “All is well now.”

For the first time since he had left home, he believed it.

*

Jeno couldn’t quite control the tremor to his hands. His stomach was queasy, his insides not yet used to the poisoned blood running through his body, but Jeno figured that the discomfort wasn’t too great. He was more bothered by how weak his muscles had become after he had spent too many days lying in bed, waiting for his body to recover.

“Let me help you with that.”

Jeno smiled as Renjun stepped in front of him, slapping his hand away from the yellow-black tie dangling around his neck. Renjun had that effect on him.

“I could have just hexed into a knot, you know?” he said as he watched Renjun fix his tie for him in the mirror.

“With your wand-weak hand? And set the curtains on fire? No chance in Professor Park’s pumpkin patch.”

Jeno conceded with a smile, letting Renjun do what he wanted.

With Renjun in front of him, he could still see over the top of his head, meeting eyes with himself in the mirror that stood next to his bed. It had freaked him out a little, the first time the nurse at the hospital had given him a mirror and he had found golden eyes staring back at him instead of his old brown ones. Jeno might have been worried that it would freak other people out too, but he was sure that no one would be looking at his eyes for the coming days.

The scars reached up to his jaw, running down his neck in jagged lines before they disappeared under the collar of his robes, violent lines against the clean cut of his collar.

He blinked when his head was turned for him.

“You’re still handsome.” Renjun’s concern was quiet, detectible in his eyes more than his voice, but unmistakably there. 

“He’s right!” Jaemin called from where he was sitting on Jeno’s bed, packing his school bag for him.

Jeno smiled. What wonderful people he had fallen in love with. “I truly don’t mind the scars, guys. Some of the best people I know have scars.”

“Good.” Renjun patted the front of his tie after he had pulled the knot tight. “You should never feel bad for having them.”

“I promise I won’t.”

Renjun smiled at him, unguardedly like he only ever did at the people closest to him.

Jeno wanted to kiss him and so he did.

It was so different from the first time they had kissed, and yet it set off the same tingly feeling all over Jeno’s body. He wanted to pull Renjun closer, his fingertips grazing the other boy’s waist before he hastily pulled his hand back.

“Sorry,” he said, clenching his fist by his side.

Renjun shook his head, smiling. “Don’t apologise. I told you, everything above the waist is good.”

_“I’m like Taeil,” Renjun had told him, the night they had met in the Hufflepuff common room, “but then I’m not like him. I don’t know. I don’t know whether I want to kiss anyone. I just don’t know. Would you try? Just so I can know?”_

_Jeno had still held onto the belief then that he was good enough of a person to pull away, but all his conviction had crumbled when he had seen the hope in Renjun’s eyes, mixed with the shame that he had never ever wanted Renjun to feel._

_“I can’t kiss you, Renjun.” He had wanted to. He had wanted to so badly, but thinking about kissing Renjun had also meant thinking about every hour of his life he had listened to Jaemin gush about their friend._

_“Of course.” Renjun had curled in on himself. “Right. I’m really sorry.”_

_“Don’t apologise.” He had meant it._

_“No, I have to. I shouldn’t have asked you, I—”_

_“Renjun.”_

_He hadn’t been able to let Renjun go. Even if he hadn’t dared to hope back then. Letting Renjun think that there was a world in which Jeno didn’t want to kiss him had been just so selfishly unthinkable._

Jeno thought about that night now as he pulled away, smiling to himself at how far they had become. He could have it all now, both of the boys he had fallen in love with, even if it had cost him blood and a good chunk of his shoulder. But the Healers at St. Mungo's had grown it back.

With his school uniform finally in order, he turned around to take his bookbag from Jaemin, who only snorted at him and slung it over his own shoulder.

Jeno pouted, but was consoled when Jaemin pressed a kiss to his lips. Much like kissing Renjun, the simple peck made Jeno's body tingle in the best of ways. He and Jaemin had fallen into this new chapter of their relationship easily, like it had always been between them. But Jeno figured it ought to be that way when you had been in love with someone for over half your life.

Jaemin shared an eye roll with Renjun, the both of them clearly scandalised at Jeno’s audacity to want to carry his own things, before he turned towards the door of the dormitory to lead the way.

“Don’t forget,” Renjun said as they crossed the Hufflepuff common room, “if you get tired at any point during the day, just say the word and one of us can escort you back to your dorm.”

“And if neither of us is around, just ask one of your prefects. I’m sure they’ll have no problem helping out their Headboy.”

“That’s true. I already talked to Shotaro in Herbology. He said it’d be his honour.”

Jeno smiled as he thought of the fifth-year Hufflepuff prefect. He had no doubt that kind-hearted Shotaro would bend over backwards to help him. Not that he needed it. He had spent enough time lying around. He had been bitten by a werewolf. He wasn’t an old man.

“I’m not an old man.”

“Well, you are technically the oldest of us.” 

“I’m only four months older than you!”

Jaemin blew him a kiss. Jeno was about to kick him in the shin with all the strength left in his body, but then he noticed how quiet Renjun had become now that they had arrived at the doors of the Great Hall. Inside, Jeno could hear the familiar noise of breakfast time.

“Are you ready?” Renjun asked him, his eyes filled with concern once more.

“If you’re not, you don’t have to go in,” Jaemin hastily added. “I can get you some food and we can head to Transfiguration early.”

Jeno waved them both off. “I’m ready.”

His appearance had changed, but his mind and soul hadn’t. He had no doubt that the rest of the students would see that soon enough. So out of the three of them, he set the first step inside. 

It seemed that their friends had congregated at the Hufflepuff table. Jeno could see the twins and Yangyang throwing bread at each other while Donghyuck tried to rein them in. Mark and Jungwoo were huddled over what looked to be a homework assignment and between Jungwoo and Donghyuck sat Lucas.

Jaemin exhaled slowly. “We can sit at the Slytherin table if you want?”

Smiling, Jeno reached over and smoothed out the furrow that had appeared between Jaemin’s brows. He knew that even if he didn't, Jaemin held onto his grudges for him. “Don’t live in the past, Jaemin. Let’s go and sit with our friends.”

Jeno could feel the way the Great Hall grew quieter the further he moved into the room. The usual screams and chatter turned into hushed whispers and expectant gazes and Jeno liked to think that only half of the student body was staring at his face.

The other half was craning their necks to get a good look at Lucas.

Jeno didn’t let it deter him. He had no doubt that both Renjun and Jaemin would glare down anyone who dared to glance in his direction too long. The last of the chatter died down as he arrived at the Hufflepuff table.

He tried not to grimace as he sat down on the bench opposite of Lucas. His body was still sore, muscles protesting every movement he even thought about, but Jeno wouldn’t let that keep him from doing what he had come to do. Well aware of every single pair of eyes that lay on him and the pin-drop silence that had overtaken the Great Hall, he placed his elbow on the table, slowly extending his arm.

Lucas’ eyes grew comically wide, gaze flickering between Jeno’s eyes and hand before he slowly did the same. Their hands clasped in the middle of the table and Jeno smiled.

“I think you and I,” he said, “we are brothers now.”

He could read the sorry in every line of Lucas’ face and squeezed his hand tightly.

 _I know it’s not your fault. I know and I forgive you._ Even if he said none of it out loud, he could see in the change of Lucas’ expression that the other boy understood. Where he had looked tormented by his own guilt, he looked solemn now.

“Brothers,” he confirmed and Jeno’s smile widened into a grin.

He squeezed Lucas’ hand once more before he let go, if only to allow Renjun to place a plate full of breakfast in front of him.

Jeno made it through about half of his breakfast before he noticed Yangyang staring at him, chin propped on his hand and brows lightly furrowed in contemplation. Jeno chewed the bite he had taken a little faster, eager to have his mouth empty so he could ask Yangyang if he could help him, but that turned out to be a bad idea when the bite got stuck halfway down his throat.

He choked, and promptly found himself slapped on the back by Renjun while Jaemin held his cup to his lips for him. Jeno took it gratefully, forcing some of the water down his throat.

When his vision cleared, he found that the contemplative expression had left Yangyang’s face and was now replaced by a mixture of scandal and glee. “You three are all together?”

The table grew quiet once more. Jeno was just glad that the chatter outside of their group continued. He could feel Jaemin stiffen next to him, his own mouth going dry as he gauged the reaction of the rest of their friends.

Yangyang noticed everything.

“Yes,” Renjun said eventually. He dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin before he met Yangyang’s gaze head on, but spoke to them all, “We are all together.” Jeno fell a little deeper in love with him at the strength in Renjun’s voice. “If anyone has any questions, you can ask me.”

Their friends remained silent. Renjun furrowed his brows. Jaemin finally set his fork down.

His tone was disbelieving when he asked, “None of you are surprised by that?”

Chenle and Jisung shook their heads in perfect synchronicity.

Yangyang snorted. “Look at this friend group, Jaem. We have two werewolves, a part-veela, a dead boy and his alive boy heart, a one-in-a-century Chaser, the best card player I’ve ever lost against, _the Heir_ and Mark.”

Mark let out an offended noise past the breakfast muffin in his mouth. Donghyuck patted him on the shoulder.

Yangyang’s grin was sharp as he winked at Mark and even sharper when he turned to look back at Jaemin. “I don’t think whatever’s between you three even reaches the top five weirdest things that’s going on here.”

“Yangyang’s right,” Donghyuck said.

He met Jeno’s eyes only briefly, but in that moment, Jeno could read everything in his friend’s eyes that he needed to know. He would not have to cut up his palm a second time. Donghyuck would deal with anyone who might disagree free of charge.

“I’m happy for you,” Lucas chirped. “Love is nice.”

Yangyang and Jaemin gagged at the same time at the besotted look that Jungwoo shot him. It caused the rest of their friends to laugh, effectively dissolving the last of the tension in the air and Jeno was glad for it all.

Their last adventure had cost them all dearly in different ways, but he had no doubt that it would be okay. They would be okay. They had each other, and they had breakfast. That was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have each other! Also, welcome to the Tablespoon Universe, Shotaro <3 Even more new (long-awaited) faces in the next chapter!  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
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> [tcoa's official playlist](http://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xg1d0bimn9HL7eeybm71I?si=aHrRPYZBRcW1RVEPM4u0rw)  
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
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> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! It makes my soul very happy <3


	23. The Fox And The Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last scene of this chapter was the first scene I ever wrote for this fic. I hope you will love it only half as dearly as I do. Enjoy! <3

Yangyang had been sitting in his favourite oriel for about an hour, his Charms homework spread out on his lap, when the fourth-year approached him. Yangyang kept his eyes on the scroll he was taking notes on, but he watched out of the corner of his eye as the boy hovered close, hands twitching anxiously in Yangyang’s line of sight before he finally perched himself on the edge of the oriel bench.

Yangyang looked up.

Big eyes that reminded Yangyang of a deer stared back at him. Yangyang thought the other boy might chew through his own bottom lip if he didn’t intervene, so he set his quill down and folded his hands in his lap. “Yes?”

“H-Hi.”

Yangyang smiled. “Hi, Sungchan.”

Sungchan startled when Yangyang called him by his name, but he held on. Yangyang had expected no less of him. “Are, uhm, are you busy right now?”

Yangyang glanced at the papers all around them. He shrugged. “Not particularly.”

“Great! Uhm, I mean, if you’re not busy, I wanted to ask you for some help?”

Yangyang couldn’t quite keep his brows from twitching towards his hairline. He only knew Sungchan because they were both on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but from what he could tell the younger was quite popular in his year. Yangyang couldn’t imagine why Sungchan would need his help when he had friends to turn to.

Nonetheless, he bit. “Sure.” Kun told him all the time that he should be nice to people. “What’s up?”

Sungchan seemed surprised by Yangyang’s nonchalant response, but caught himself quickly. “Oh! You said yes. Okay, cool! So, uhm, you’re friends with Jeno Lee, right?”

Yangyang felt the sweet taste of the caramels he had stolen from the Hufflepuff snack table sour on his tongue. He could think of only one good reason why Sungchan would ask him about Jeno, and it was not because Jeno was so good of a Seeker. 

“Yes,” he cautioned. “I am.”

Donghyuck had warned them that might happen. With Lucas’ transfer student novelty not yet having worn off and Jeno being Hogwarts’ most beloved Head Boy, word about what had (supposedly) happened that night in the Forbidden Forest had spread faster than dragon pox among the students.

“It’s worse because they’re them and they’re friends with, well…us,” Donghyuck had said the night Jeno had gotten released from the hospital.

Renjun had snorted at Donghyuck’s words, but they all had known that it was the truth. Donghyuck had looked guilty about it, too, until Renjun had kicked him in the shin for it.

Yangyang had met up with the both of them in the kitchens after midnight to see what they could do for their moon-loving friends.

“People will want to know all the juicy details and the teachers surely won’t give them to them, so someone might come up to one of us.”

“Not one of the Slytherin, surely,” Yangyang had said.

“No, obviously. None of them will feed into the gossip."

“Sometimes, the power you have over your house terrifies me.”

Donghyuck had grinned. “It’ll be either that, or they know Jaemin will hex them in their sleep.”

“And it won’t be the kind of hex that washes of with some warm water and ginger,” Renjun had added darkly.

Yangyang hadn’t been in any position to judge Renjun and Jaemin for their plans, so he had simply focussed back on the task at hand. “So, that’s a fourth of the student body. What about the other houses?”

“Ravenclaw won’t be a problem, either. Mark’s got this whole speech prepared to reason it out with them if someone…wants to offer their commentary about our friends' lycanthropy and I doubt any of the Hufflepuffs will be a problem. Jeno is their pride and joy, the first Head Boy to come out of Hufflepuff in two decades and all that. They’re most likely to see both his and Lucas’ lycanthropy for what it is. An illness they didn’t choose. That leaves…”

“…Gryffindor.” Yangyang had seen it coming. He hadn’t taken it personally. Still, he had been able to see the apology in Donghyuck’s eyes. It had amused him. “We do love to talk.”

“I’m worried about Daniel. If he doesn’t have anything against Lucas and Jeno personally, they’re still friends with us.”

“Could Mark talk to him?” Renjun had suggested.

“No.”

“But—”

“I said no.”

Yangyang had cleared his throat then, if only to break the tension between Renjun and Donghyuck. Renjun had looked away while Donghyuck had looked at him.

“I don’t think Daniel is going to be a problem.”

“He hates us. Jungwoo, especially, because of what happened with Mark, and Jaemin too for beating him out of the Quidditch Cup. Hurting Lucas and Jeno is a perfect opportunity to get revenge on them.”

“I still don’t think Daniel will do it,” Yangyang had said. “His reputation already took a hit when Mark chewed him out after we lost to you. Besides, he’s not a total asshole. He just has too much misguided anger about the Mark situation.”

Donghyuck hadn’t looked convinced, but Yangyang had figured that was okay. He only had needed one of his friends to agree with him and Renjun had nodded, “If Yangyang says so, we have to trust him.”

“Fine.” Yangyang had suppressed the urge to laugh at Donghyuck’s gritted teeth, though he would have been allowed to. He had been the one that had ended up getting punched in the face when Donghyuck, blinded by hurt after hearing of Mark’s departure to Ilvermorny, had sought out Daniel to pick a fight with the older boy, no wands involved. “But if you hear anything…”

“I’ll take care of it.”

 _“We_ will,” Renjun had looked at Donghyuck. “You know we always do.”

Donghyuck had conceded to that and they had left the kitchens shortly after.

Yangyang watched as Sungchan squirmed a little, clearly embarrassed by what he was going to say. Yangyang took a quick look around the Gryffindor room. He thought maybe Sungchan had lost a bet and now his friends were lurking somewhere watching them, but there was no gaggle of fourth-years hiding somewhere close by.

“That’s cool.” One of Sungchan’s hands came up to rub the back of his head. “Uhm, so I thought that maybe you could—Merlin, this sounds so bad I swear it’s not like that! I just thought maybe you’d know how to get into the Hufflepuff common room?”

Yangyang blinked. “You want me to tell you how to sneak into the Hufflepuff common room?”

Sungchan’s ears were pink as he nodded. “Yes.”

“Why? You want to pull a prank on one?”

“No!” Sungchan hastily shook his head. “Of course, no!” 

“Mhm, because that’s like illegal, you know? It’s a crime to hurt a Hufflepuff.” Yangyang leaned closer. “Everybody knows that. Especially if they have a Slytherin friend who will hex your eyebrows off if they catch you and Jeno has quite the number of them.”

Sungchan paled around the nose. “But I don’t want to do anything bad,” he whispered.

Yangyang perused him for only a moment longer. “I believe you.” He swung his legs off the bench and got up. “Let’s go, then!”

Sungchan gaped at him. “Right now?”

Yangyang raised an eyebrow at him. “Of course, now. What, are you not ready?”

“No, I—” Sungchan stumbled to his feet. Standing, he was taller than Yangyang, though he was a bit gangly. It seemed he had not yet grown into his limbs. “I’m ready to go.”

“Excellent.” Yangyang grinned before he started walking once more, reassured that Sungchan would follow after him.

They made their way from the Gryffindor Tower to the ground floor. Sungchan was quiet next to him as they walked, but Yangyang managed to get a little out of him by starting a conversation about their last Quidditch practice. Sungchan still wouldn’t open up about why he wanted to go to the Hufflepuff Basement, but Yangyang figured that a boy who said that he would’ve liked Quidditch more if there were no points truly couldn’t be that nefarious of a person.

“All right,” Yangyang said once they were skipping down the steps to the kitchen corridor. “Just stay close to me once we’re inside, okay?”

Sungchan nodded, eyes wide and hands fidgeting with his tie. Yangyang led him around the corner where the barrels were. He knocked the pattern that Jungwoo had taught him against the middle barrel and let Sungchan crawl through the opening first.

On the other side, he was greeted by the cozy atmosphere of the Hufflepuff common room, bustling with students after dinner. He spotted Jungwoo and Lucas sitting at a table close to the windows, a tome open between them.

Yangyang waved at them before he turned towards Sungchan. “Do you know what you’re looking for?”

“Yes!” Sungchan perked up. “Thank you so much for your help!”

Yangyang blinked when Sungchan beamed at him and then skipped away, gracefully avoiding all the potted plants hanging from the walls as he made his way to the opposite side of the room.

“You’re welcome,” Yangyang murmured after him, but decided to shrug it off. 

He kept an eye on his fellow Gryffindor as he walked over to the windows. Sungchan trailed along the circular doors before he stopped in front of the circular door with the brassen number five on it. Yangyang saw him pull a box of chocolates out of his robes, a pink envelope attached to the front, before he slipped into the fifth-year dormitory. 

“Yangyang!” His attention was diverted when he arrived at his friends’ table. Smiling, he high-fived the hand Lucas was holding out for him. 

“What are you doing here?” Lucas asked, pulling out a chair for him. 

Yangyang perched onto the edge of their table instead. “Why? Must I have a reason? Can I not just miss my friends?” 

Jungwoo squinted at him. “We saw each other half an hour ago at dinner. Usually, you only come down here to steal sweets or because something happened.” 

Yangyang sniffed dramatically as he took a handful of paper-wrapped caramels from the bowl on their table. “Not true. I just came because I missed you guys.” 

“We missed you too,” Lucas said eagerly. 

Yangyang grinned at him, uncaring of the caramel that glued his teeth together in strings. He took care to chew a little more before he nodded at the book in front of Jungwoo. “What are you reading?” 

He marvelled at the way Jungwoo’s cheeks turned pink. “Just some werewolf stuff.” 

“Oh?” Yangyang raised an eyebrow. “Something naughty?” He leaned closer towards the book. “Are there even any reports on that?” 

“Yangyang!” 

Yangyang shrugged. “What? I don’t judge.” 

“It’s serious research,” Jungwoo scowled, but his frown smoothed out when Yangyang offered him a caramel in apology. “It’s both for our school project on the topic and to...well, it has become relevant recently, don’t you agree?” 

“Well, doubt that there’s a cure in there.” 

“I know that.” Jungwoo glared at him before his eyes widened with panic and he turned his head. “I promise I know that, Lucas. You know I love you whether you’re a werewolf or not.” 

Lucas immediately nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. Yangyang wondered what that was like, to be able to look at a person and like them enough to be able to smile just because they were there. 

“You love me.” Lucas’ smile widened when he looked at Yangyang. “We’re going to get an O on our project.” 

Yangyang found that even he wasn’t enough of a cynic to dispute that. “I have no doubt.” 

Across the room, he could see Sungchan emerge from the fifth-year dormitory and jumped off the table. 

“No,” Lucas pouted as he made to leave and Yangyang laughed. “Don’t worry, big guy. We’ll see each other at breakfast tomorrow. I’ll leave you to it for now. Sleep well, you two!” 

“Bye, Yangyang!” 

“Put those caramels in your pocket back in one of the bowls before you leave!” 

“Love you too, Woo!” 

He skipped over to the common room door, collecting Sungchan on his way. He waited until they were back in the kitchen corridor before he asked, “And, did you do what you wanted to sneak in for?” 

“Yes,” Sungchan said, red-cheeked and giddy-looking enough that Yangyang decided to leave him be. He had an affinity for ruining things and he didn’t want to take that happy look off of the younger’s face, so he kept quiet. 

When they reached the bottom of the Grand Staircase, he brought them to a halt. “Alright, I think you know the way from here on out?”

“You’re not coming back to the Gryffindor Tower with me?” 

“No, you go ahead. I’m going to visit some friends of mine.” 

Sungchan’s eyes grew round as dinner plates as he followed Yangyang’s line of sight to the side where the entrance to the dungeons was. “You can go into the Slytherin Dungeon, too?” 

“Well, they haven’t eaten me yet.” Yangyang grinned, deriving just a tiny bit of joy from the absolute belief on Sungchan’s face _that there was a chance._ “You should head up now, though,” he added solemnly. “Curfew is in a couple of hours.”

Sungchan nodded, still looking a little dazed as he stumbled up the first of the stairs. Yangyang watched him until one of the moving stairs had taken him away before he walked over to the stairs that would lead him to the Dungeon. 

The path down was familiar to him. As most of their friend group wore emerald robes, the Slytherin common room was where they congregated most frequently. The black-tiled wall concealing the common door wall melted away with a gentle touch of his hand and the right whispered words and then he was stepping into the Slytherin Dungeon. 

Much like in the Hufflepuff common room, there was still a good number of people lounging on the sofas in front of the fireplace. 

On the one closest to the flickering flames, he found his friends. Donghyuck was sprawled along the length of the two-seater, his head bedded on Renjun’s thigh. Yangyang knew he wasn’t truly sleeping. Donghyuck had just figured out early on that if he appeared to be dozing, it made people more hesitant to disturb him and ask for favours. 

The twins were lounging on the sofa opposite of them. The only one missing was Jaemin, but Yangyang knew that Jaemin was spending the night in the seventh-year Hufflepuff dormitory. Jeno had retired early after dinner, more exhausted than he had been willing to admit to them, and from then on out there had been no prying Jaemin from his side.

Yangyang smiled when Chenle pushed Jisung’s legs out of the way to make space for Yangyang to sit. It caused Donghyuck to open one of his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw that it was Yangyang responsible for the noise. 

“Everything good?” Renjun asked him. 

“Everything good,” Yangyang confirmed and indulged in the toffee Chenle offered him. “What are you doing?” 

“Digesting.” Jisung smiled and patted his belly. 

Chenle perked up. “I want to play something.” 

“Chocolate frog cards?” Renjun suggested. Everyone but him groaned unanimously and Renjun grinned. “It was just a suggestion.” 

Donghyuck grunted as he pulled himself upright. “Yeah, we can play.” 

“I’m not getting them,” Chenle chirped as he imitated Jisung and patted his belly. “Too full to move.” That ruled Jisung out too. 

Yangyang watched as Renjun held out his closed fist towards Donghyuck, who groaned once more and did the same. Before they could play the first round of rock-paper-scissors, Yangyang got to his feet. 

“It’s okay, I can get them.” 

“You’re a treasure, Yangyang!” 

Yangyang waved Renjun off. 

“They’re in my bedside drawer,” Donghyuck told him. “Top drawer.” 

“Is it going to ask for a part of my soul if I try to open it?” 

Donghyuck grinned. “Unlikely.” 

Yangyang snorted and kicked Donghyuck’s legs out of the way too as he made his way to the dormitory hallway. It was a testament to how often exactly he was down here that none of the Slytherin he passed spared him a glance. 

The door to the fifth-year boys’ dormitory was ajar and Yangyang slipped easily inside. He ignited the torches on the walls with a flick of his wand, walking further inside the room even before they had fully illuminated the dark. He could have navigated the dorm blindly, the layout of the room as familiar to him as his own dormitory in the Gryffindor Tower. 

Donghyuck’s bed was the second of the row, his bedside table laden with trinkets, jewellery and a bag of fizzy sour sweets. Yangyang looked back towards the door, making sure their owner hadn’t followed him after all before he dipped his hand inside the paper bag and stole two of the gummi worms to pop them into his mouth. 

It was the way the sweets sent a shiver through his entire body, his eyes squeezing shut with the sour taste, that kept him from hearing the low thud behind him. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes again that he saw a sliver of silver out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he turned around. He managed to raise his wand, but it was already too late. 

_Shit,_ he thought as silver filled his vision and then pain exploded in his face. 

*

Yukhei didn’t mean to let Jungwoo do all the work, but with his head bedded on his arm and Jungwoo’s hand in his hair, it was so very hard to keep himself from dozing. Jungwoo didn’t seem to mind, occasionally leaning down to press a kiss against Yukhei’s cheek before he turned another page and dipped his quill into his ink bottle once more. 

The buzz off the common room was like Peace of Drought to Yukhei, who revelled in the warm atmosphere and the happy chatter of his housemates. It made the silence even more jarring when the common room fell quiet at once. 

Yukhei instinctively looked up. It wasn’t hard to make out the source of the sudden silence. Renjun’s expression was grim as he moved through the room, bringing intangible darkness with him. All drowsiness faded from Yukhei’s mind as his hackles rose. 

“You have to come with me,” Renjun said the moment he had arrived at their table, his voice too quiet for anyone else to overhear, but with the way his eyes were boring into Yukhei’s, he might as well have been shouting. 

Yukhei lost no time getting to his feet. 

Jungwoo was only a heartbeat slower than him. And Yukhei wanted to ask him to stay back, but he knew that Jungwoo wouldn’t have given in to his pleas, just like Yukhei would have never let him go on his own. 

“Where are Jeno and Jaemin?” 

“They’re sleeping in Jeno’s bed.” 

Renjun’s expression lightened, if only for a fraction. “Good,” he said and turned on his heel. 

Yukhei waited until they were out of the common room, sprinting up the stairs to the entrance hall that he asked, “What happened?” 

Renjun lost what little light had returned to his eyes. “You’ll see.” 

Such words didn’t bode well and Yukhei couldn’t help the nervousness felt as they followed Renjun across the hall, down the stairs that lead to the Dungeon. The door to the Slytherin common room revealed itself with a press of Renjun’s hand against the black-tiled wall, a hushed whisper and then they were stepping through. 

Yukhei was halfway surprised to see that the Slytherin common room didn’t look much different from how it usually looked. There were people milling about, some lounging on the sofas and a couple of older years sitting in the corner drinking what Yukhei assumed to be a concoction a little stronger than pumpkin juice while they played cards. 

None of their other friends were among them and that enough was to unsettle Yukhei again. 

“Come on,” Renjun said and led them towards the corridor that held the doors to the dormitories. 

Jungwoo’s hand slipped into Yukhei’s as they followed. 

In front of the fifth-year dormitory, they found the twins and Yangyang, leaned against the wall with his head tilted back, blood covering his nose and lower part of his mouth. 

Jungwoo gasped. “Yangyang! What happened?” 

Yangyang only grunted, pain tinting his voice when Chenle pressed his wand against his face to perform a healing spell. 

“What happened to him?” Yukhei asked Renjun. 

“Inside,” was all Renjun said before he pushed the door open, beckoning Yukhei to go in first. 

Yukhei took a hesitant step into the room, and when he saw who was waiting for him sitting on the edge of Renjun's bed, he felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't remember whether he had last seen his friend's face in his nightmares or his dreams. 

"He told us he came here for the Wong,” Renjun explained as he joined Donghyuck, who was standing by the door. “There was not much more we could get out of him.” 

Yukhei nodded, unable to pry his eyes away. 

“So, you do know him?” Donghyuck asked and it was then that Yukhei noticed the wand in his hand. Of course. To them, he was a stranger. 

He nodded again and gave in to the overwhelming urge to look at the boy sitting on Renjun’s bed once more. 

He was wearing the silvery-grey cloak of the Weishen uniform, the hood pulled up to cast his face in shadows. If they had been home, deep in the mountains where no muggle would ever dare to wander, he would have been near invisible against the endless grey of the mountains and the sky, but in this part of the world where everything had colour and the walls of the Slytherin Dungeon were made from dark tile, he stood out like a silver star in the night. 

His silver shine blinded Yukhei as he took a step forward and the boy mirrored Yukhei, lifting his hands to push his hood back enough to reveal outgrown, inky black hair.

Yukhei didn’t mean to fall to his knees and he didn’t mean for tears to spring to his eyes, but both happened as soon as he was within arm’s reach. In another life, they had been friends, the closest of friends, and even if being found by him meant being at his mercy, Yukhei felt nothing but joy in this moment. 

Home had come for him, when he had thought he might never catch a glimpse of it again.

_“Dejun.”_

Dejun looked down at him, dark eyes trailing Yukhei top to bottom, before he slowly got to his feet.

 _“Get up.”_ Strong brows knitted together as Dejun reached out his hand. _“A former First Son of Weishen shouldn’t kneel.”_

Yukhei did as he was told, and because this was his home now, he decided that he didn’t want to wait any longer. He bridged the distance between himself and Dejun and threw his arms around the smaller, slimmer frame of his friend, spinning him around. 

_“Dejun!”_ Now that the initial shock was wearing off, he felt nothing but overwhelming joy. _“You’re really here!”_

The noise that left Dejun resembled a disgruntled knarl, but Yukhei didn’t let that deter him. He smiled as he set his friend back down on his feet.

Dejun smoothed out the folds of his robes, gaze flickering over to the other people in the room, before he focussed back on Yukhei. It was only the flicker of pain flashing deep in his friend’s eyes that told Yukhei how much Dejun had missed him too when he said, _“They told us you were dead. Master Zhoumi said the wolves left nothing of you except for your bones.”_

 _“I’m very much alive.”_ Yukhei couldn’t contain his grin. _“My name is_ Lucas _now.”_

 _“Lucas.”_ Dejun enunciated every syllable with care. And then his expression shifted. _“You must know why I’m here, don’t you?”_

Yukhei took a step back. He hadn’t thought about it before, but having Dejun in front of him, his eyes never resting, ever-searching their surroundings, it made perfect sense to Yukhei why his old friend had come.

_“You didn’t come here for me.”_

Of course, Dejun hadn’t. Wong Yukhei was dead and had been for months. Wong Yukhei was dead, the wolves had left nothing of him and Dejun wouldn’t have travelled halfway around the world for a ghost.

Yukhei’s eyes fell to the dark markings on the back of Dejun’s hands, the intricate carvings of a spell older than the mountains, magic so foreign to this place and so familiar to Yukhei that he had once considered it himself before.

But he hadn’t had anyone then. _It’s not the first time I’ve seen something like this,_ he had thought when Chenle had told him about his connection with Jisung. Chenle and Jisung were bound by an unbreakable oath, and so was Dejun.

But he wasn’t bound to Yukhei.

Dejun’s smile deepened, _“I know he’s here. I know he followed you. He wouldn’t have run away from me unless it was towards you.”_

 _“That can’t be.”_ Yukhei furrowed his brows. _“The last time I saw him was that night. I would have noticed if he had followed me.”_

Dejun’s lips pulled into a humourless grin and when he raised his hands to his mouth, Yukhei could see that his markings were inflamed, the skin surrounding them reddened as if Dejun had scratched at them over and over. It matched the reddened state of his eyes, the feverish glint in them.

Yukhei swallowed. He couldn’t imagine it, how much Dejun must have been suffering even in this very moment.

He couldn’t imagine that Kunhang had done that to them.

_“You’re his brother, Yukhei. Of course, he followed you.”_

With that, Dejun folded his hands in front of his lips, pressing his thumbs against his lips so he could blow into the hollow between his palms. He held Yukhei’s gaze as his whistle cut through the air between them, the movement of his fingers creating highs and lows that aligned in a pattern most familiar to Yukhei.

Two long tones followed by three short ones before the sequence repeated.

It had been a joke between them, once upon a time. The whistle had been a signal that they had used to find each other in the forest when they had been kids, but that had changed with the second challenge. The second challenge had taken Yukhei out of the equation and where their signal had been just a melody plucked from Kunhang’s imagination, it sounded different now.

It sounded like the twittering of a bird.

“What the fuck is going on?” Donghyuck asked somewhere behind him.

Yukhei’s throat drew tight. _“It can’t be.”_

He was cut short when Renjun cursed, Jungwoo screamed and Yukhei blinked as something brushed his cheek, a streak of cobalt blue and gold passing the corner of his vision before it disappeared above the canopy of Renjun’s bed.

Dejun lowered his hands, eyes alight with righteous fury. One of his brows ticked upwards, as if to say _I told you so_. Heart hammering in his chest, Yukhei shook his head. It really couldn’t be, but that didn’t stop Dejun from taking a step backward, a step closer to Renjun’s bed and the next time he blinked, his eyes were bright yellow.

 _“Dejun.”_ Yukhei tried to reach out for his friend, but it was already too late.

Dejun’s head fell back as white fur began to sprout across his cheeks, his mouth falling open as his canines elongated.

“Oh, fuck,” Donghyuck breathed out.

Dejun fell backwards, but his body had disappeared before his robes had fully hit the ground. A flash of white emerged from the neckline of the heap and this time Yukhei could hear all of his friends gasp. 

The flash of white fur jumped from the floor up onto Renjun’s bedside table and then flitted along one of the bed posts before it, too, disappeared above the bed’s canopy.

“Lucas,” Jungwoo’s faint voice called out to him, but Yukhei couldn’t turn to him. He couldn’t pry his eyes away from where the thick, emerald fabric of the canopy was denting with the weight of the two creatures on top. It was over as quickly as it had begun. 

Yellow eyes appeared on the edge of the canopy and in its maw, the pole fox held a golden-blue bird, twittering helplessly.

“Merlin!” Out of the corner of his eye, Yukhei could see Donghyuck move forward.

He caught his friend by the hand, “Wait!”

Donghyuck stared at him in disbelief. “What? Are you crazy? Your friend is gonna chomp chomp that bird like a snack!”

Yukhei shook his head. “It’s not what you think it is.”

They both looked up at the canopy and watched as the pole fox jumped down. It landed elegantly on its feet, turning its back to them before it slowly lowered the bird to the ground.

Yukhei averted his eyes when their edges began to blur and went to pick up the silver robes Dejun had left. He undid the clasp of his own cloak before he looked back up to find that the family he had left at Weishen were lying on the floor of the fifth-year Slytherin dormitory, stark naked and with Dejun pinning Kunhang to the ground. His fangs snapped at the younger’s neck as if to dare him to try and escape again.

Kunhang didn’t look like he wanted to. He was gazing up at Dejun with both guilt and a twinkle in his eyes, the latter giving way to mirth as he turned his head to meet Yukhei’s eyes.

“Is anyone else seeing this?” Yukhei could hear Renjun ask.

Yukhei dropped Dejun’s robes on his back, covered Kunhang with his own cloak as soon as Dejun had rolled off of him. He helped his brother to his feet, knowing that Dejun would have rejected him if he had offered to help him too. 

Kunhang didn’t let go of him once they were standing. Instead, he was quick to throw himself at Yukhei, laughing brightly into his ear. _“Hello, brother.”_

Yukhei hugged him back instinctively. He had dreamt of this moment many times, had hoped that he would one day get the chance to hug his brother again. Experiencing it now felt like another dream, but he knew that it was reality. Every fibre of his being was alight with the knowledge that he was with his family once more.

 _“Kunhang,”_ he breathed out. _“What are you doing here?”_

 _“Of course, I’m here.”_ Kunhang’s eyes were still bright when they pulled apart, but Yukhei noticed the shine in them. _“I had to come and see it for myself.”_

Yukhei shook his head in disbelief. _“How did you even know where I am?”_

_“That would also be my question.”_

Dejun had taken a step back to give them space, but it was blatantly obvious that it was tormenting him. The guilt in Kunhang’s eyes amplified as he stepped away from Yukhei and over to his oath-bound. 

_“I’m sorry,_ _xīn gān,”_ Kunhang whispered, but he was speaking loudly enough that Yukhei could hear too _. “_ _I found one of the letters that Master Zhoumi wrote to our parents. I couldn’t believe it at first when he talked about Yukhei like he was alive, but then when I confronted him about it, he told me the truth. I’m sorry, I just—I had to see for myself. Can you forgive me?”_

Dejun’s eyes flickered between black and yellow before he nodded. 

Kunhang smiled. _“Thank you.”_

He placed a hand on Dejun's cheek, thumb brushing over the protruding bone and Yukhei could see the agony fade from Dejun’s bones, the tight lines of his body relaxing for the first time in what Yukhei realised might have been months. He wasn’t oath-bound, and yet the thought made him feel nauseated.

 _“How long?”_ Yukhei asked, his voice coming out raspier than he had intended. _“How long have you been here, Kunhang?”_

_“He watched your flame for two and a half months before he disappeared.”_

Yukhei did the maths in his head. His life had ended in August, which meant that Kunhang must have come and found him around the same time that he had come to Hogwarts.

He felt his heart skip a beat at the thought. _“You’ve been here the entire time?”_

Kunhang nodded, and so did Dejun, if he looked more tortured.

 _“But why—”_ Yukhei’s head was spinning. _“Why didn’t you show yourself?”_

 _“I left you messages!”_ Kunhang looked indignant now, always even more allergic to injust accusations than Yukhei was. _“I left twigs on your pillow so you’d come meet me in the green house, but you never showed!”_

Yukhei felt dumb-founded. _“I didn’t—I didn’t know it was you. I didn’t know that that’s what they meant.”_

 _“I noticed.”_ Kunhang huffed. _“You were distracted by your roommate.”_

Yukhei had half a mind to tell his little brother that that was no excuse, but no words came over his lips, because what Kunhang had said was also true. He had indeed been distracted by his roommate. 

_“Still,”_ his heart hurt at the thought that Kunhang had been so close and not trusting enough of Yukhei to show himself, _“you could have revealed yourself.”_

Kunhang’s smile was gentle. _“Even if it would have been safe, I couldn’t have. You would have sent me home and I needed to see whether they were good to you here.”_

_“So you hid away?”_

_“I would have shown myself eventually. I planned to, but then that spell came and snatched me right out of my cage.”_ Kunhang’s eyes flickered over to where Yukhei’s friends were standing. _“Your friends are very powerful. The spell was strong enough to not only force me to transfigure back into my human form, but when I woke up in the forest, it had also broken my mental barrier. Dejun could reach me again, and once he did, I thought that I...might as well wait for him.”_

Yukhei wanted to be angry. He wanted to be fuming, really, but in the end what stood in front of him was no one else but his little brother, having done something he hadn’t been supposed to do. 

Kunhang hadn’t done it often in his life, always the most reasonable of them. Until Yukhei had died. He had wondered about it often, too, what grief would have done to his brother. 

With a sigh, he opened his arms.

Kunhang let out a delighted gasp before he stepped into them. After a moment and a gentle tug from Kunhang’s hand, Dejun joined them. Yukhei allowed himself this moment, where he could close his eyes and he was back in Weishen, his brother and best friend by his side. 

_“I’m glad that you’re here,”_ he said as they stepped apart. _“Well, I’m glad that you’re here and I can see you,”_ he added in Kunhang’s direction. 

_“You could see me all this time, you just didn’t know,”_ Kunhang told him with that twinkle in his eye. 

Yukhei just shook his head. He was sure that there would come a time in the future, far in the future, when he would be able to laugh about it. 

“Lucas?” an all too familiar voice called out to him then and Yukhei felt his heart skip a beat with excitement. 

“Jungwoo!” He lost no time walking over to where Jungwoo was standing, halfway between him and their friends. He looked hesitant, nervous in a way Yukhei didn’t want him to be. “You don’t have to be afraid.” He took Jungwoo’s hand, trying to tug him closer. “They’re my family.” 

Jungwoo didn’t move. 

“One of your family punched Yangyang in the face,” Donghyuck said from the door. His wand was still clutched in his hand. 

“Uhm.” Yukhei felt embarrassed. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.” 

_“Lucas,”_ Renjun said, switching tongues so Dejun and Kunhang would understand him as well. _“Do you vouch for them?”_

Yukhei met his gaze without hesitation. _“With my life.”_

Renjun stared at him for a long, drawn-out moment before he nodded. “You can put your wand away,” he directed at Donghyuck as he moved forward. “It’s his brother, the bird, and his friend, the fox.” 

_“Wong Kunhang,”_ Kunhang stepped forward excitedly. _“Thir-Second Son of Weishen. It’s so exciting to meet you in human form”_

 _“I’m Renjun,”_ Renjun told him. Much like Dejun, he looked like he was in pain. _“These are Donghyuck and Jungwoo and I guess you know...Yukhei.”_

Yukhei blinked when he heard Renjun say his birth name. He met Renjun’s eyes before he looked at his brother, then Dejun and for a moment, he felt nothing but longing. But no matter whether they had come to find him, Wong Yukhei was dead. 

That was no longer him. 

_“I am Lucas,”_ he said. _“That’s my name, now. I am Lucas.”_

Somehow, the way Jungwoo was holding onto his arm, staring at him with relief and teary eyes, told him that Jungwoo had understood those three words. Lucas smiled at him to confirm. 

_“Xiao Dejun,”_ Dejun said, gingerly taking the hand Renjun had extended for him. _“Are you First?”_

 _“They have no First,”_ Lucas quickly cut in. 

That got him a pair of raised brows, but Lucas shrugged them off. They’d get used to it, like he had. 

“Oh, the intruders are friends?” Chenle’s excited voice chimed from the door. 

He and Jisung were standing on the threshold, peeking over Yangyang’s shoulders where he was standing in front of them. Yangyang was quite the sight with blood splatters coating the lower half of his face, but it seemed that Chenle’s spell had worked and his nose was back in his rightful place. 

_“It seems like they are,”_ Yangyang said, eyes narrowing as he looked at Dejun. _“You pack a mean punch.”_

Dejun met his gaze head-on before he cast his eyes down. _“I’m sorry,”_ he allowed. _“It was not my intention to harm any of Yu-Lucas’ friends.”_

 _“I can heal it for you if you want to?”_ Kunhang offered next to him. 

Yangyang waved him away. _“Already taken care of.”_ He sniffed. _“Thanks, though.”_

Lucas smiled, simply because he would have never expected things to turn out like this. And what had happened between Yangyang and Dejun surely hadn’t been pretty, but it definitely had earned Dejun Yangyang’s respect, which was impressive in itself. 

“Cool,” Chenle said, using the opportunity to drag him and Jisung forward. _“I’m Chenle and this is my Jisung. Nice to meet you.”_

 _“Oh,”_ Kunhang breathed out. 

Dejun took one look at them before he sought out Lucas’ gaze. _“They are different.”_

 _“They are oath twins,”_ Lucas explained. _“Jisung carries Chenle’s heartbeat."_

Dejun nodded, satisfied with that explanation. 

There was no dark magic at Weishen. Only those who were apt to wield spells powerful enough to shake the earth and bind souls, and those who weren’t. 

_“I’m Kunhang,”_ Kunhang introduced himself, mirroring what Chenle had done by pulling Dejun forward with him, _“and this is my Dejun._ I’m Kunhang,” he repeated more slowly, giving each person in the room a smile before he landed back on Chenle.

“I hope we can become good friends.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Weishen boys have arrived! We'll see what they bring us, hehe. Thank you so much for reading!  
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	24. Dejun Dear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit different, but I hope you like it nonetheless. Merry Christmas!

It was the day after his seventh birthday that the lambs went mad. 

That day, Dejun's mother locked him in the storage cupboard before his father came back from work. Dejun crawled under the lowest of the boards, pulled the basket with potatoes in front of the shelves and tried to keep as quiet as possible.

The darkness and tight embrace of the space did nothing to block out the sound of his parents arguing, the angry roar of his father’s voice as he screamed about broken fences and lost profits and the lambs that had drowned in the river behind their property.

Dejun hadn’t meant for that to happen. He just hadn’t wanted the lambs to go in the big wagon that would take them away to get slaughtered. Dejun had seen it once, when his father had taken him along to the butcher’s. He had wanted them free and like most things, his wishes had become reality when he had gone to sleep that night. He had only realised after he had woken up to see the carnage on the field behind their house that his father would be angry. 

He flinched when there was the slam of a door and then the house was quiet. He counted another hundred breaths before he pushed the potato basket aside and crawled out of his hiding spot.

He found his mother in the kitchen, her back turned to him.

“Mama?” he called out.

His mother spun around and Dejun could tell by how red her eyes were that she had cried. She wiped her cheeks and Dejun didn’t hesitate to run into her arms when she reached out for him.

He was seven now which was entirely too big to let himself be carried around, but he still let his mother pick him up and carry him into his room, her hands carding through his hair as she kissed his brow.

“My baby,” his mother whispered. “My sweet Dejun. I love you so much.”

Dejun buried his face in her neck until she gently sat him down on his bed. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he watched her step over to his wardrobe. She pulled out the backpack he used when he stayed at his grandparents' house.

“Are we visiting yéyé?”

His mother didn’t answer, but Dejun could see her push clothes into his bag, so he ran into the bathroom to get his toothbrush. The backpack was almost full when he returned and he hurried to put it in. His mother smiled, a fleeting expression but Dejun treasured it all the same.

He let his mother stuff him into his coat before he took the hand she held out for him. Hand in hand, they walked out of the house.

Normally, he would have been embarrassed to walk hand in hand with his mother now that he was seven, but he wasn’t, not when Mama had cried today. A sinister thought crossed Dejun’s mind about how much easier their life would be if Papa wouldn’t come back home, but he quickly banned the thought from his mind before it could become reality.

Dejun was surprised when they turned left instead of right at the street that connected the dirtway leading up to their farm to the rest of their village. The way they were going now would only lead them into wilderness.

“Are we not going to yéyé’s?”

His mother didn’t answer. She only tightened her grip on his hand and kept walking. Dejun didn’t question her any further. Sometimes, when his mother grew quiet like that, it was best to leave her be.

So, he did this best to keep up with her longer strides as they crossed fields and passed through offshoots of forest until they had eventually made it to the foot of the mountain that overshadowed their village.

Dejun’s eyes grew wide as he looked up at the endless grey. His grandma used to tell him stories about the mountain, about how no human had ever climbed to the very top, but if he ever did, he would find dragons living there. Sometimes, at night in his bed, he pretended he could hear them roar, that it was the mighty beat of their wings that cast shadows across his bedroom wall.

His mother crouched down in front of him, her hands reaching out to frame his face. He squirmed when she pressed wet, salty kisses against his cheeks.

“Listen to me, Dejun dear, we’re going to play a game,” she whispered in his ear.

Dejun perked up. “A game?”

His mother nodded. “That's right, baby. A game just between the two of us. To play, you have to go up the mountain.”

“Up the mountain?” he asked, squirming a little at the thought of braving the steep incline by himself. “Can’t we go together?”

“No.” His mother shook her head. “You have to go alone, Dejun. You have to follow the path up until you’ve reached the peak.”

He frowned. “I really have to go alone?”

His mother nodded. Her eyes were red-rimmed again. “And don’t stop! You have to keep going, do you hear me, Xiao Dejun? Until you’ve reached the peak.”

“Where the dragons are?”

His mother hesitated, then nodded.

“But what if they’ll eat me?” He didn’t like this. He didn’t want to get eaten. “Why do I have to? This game doesn’t sound fun, Mama! I don’t want to play!”

He thought he might start crying too, but then his mother was hugging him, so tightly he wriggled to get air into his lungs again. His mother kissed his hair, kissed his cheeks before she pulled herself upright.

"Go now, baby." Her voice wasn't as steady as it had been before, but Dejun could tell that there was no more arguing with her. So, he left himself be turned around and pushed towards the path that would lead him up the mountain, the opposite direction of home.

The first step already made him want to turn back around, but he took another and another until he was walking. The earth crunched beneath his feet as he began his ascend, rocks and gravel littering the way. He kept looking back the first couple hundred metres, watching as his mother's form became smaller and smaller. Eventually, she was swallowed by the steady curve of his path.

He hoped that he wouldn't have to walk for long, hoped that his mother would change her mind and they could go home before his father came back, but no such thing happened and so he kept walking. At one point, the path fizzled out and Dejun found himself on all fours to climb further up.

He climbed until the air become too thin to breathe and his hands were scraped open by the jagged edges of the rocks. Like the mountain, the sky was an endless grey and he thought that he might have been able to hear thunder rolling up above. He hoped it wouldn’t rain. He was already freezing.

He closed his eyes when the first drops of rain began to fall. A part of him was relieved, relieved that it washed the sweat off his face and soothed the burn to his skin. He yelped when he opened his eyes.

In front of him was maybe the most elegant man Dejun had ever seen. He was tall and slender, a pair of round, frameless spectacles sat on the bridge of his nose. The funniest thing about him were his clothes, robes made of fine, silvery grey fabric that matched the sky.

Dejun didn’t realise that his mouth had dropped open until the man tilted his head to the side, perusing him.

Remembering his manners, he quickly put his hands together and bowed. “Hello.”

When he looked back up, the man was smiling. “Hello, small friend." He imitated Dejun's bow. "What’s your name?”

“Xiao Dejun,” Dejun recited like he had been taught. He squinted up at the man. “Do you know where my mama is?”

The man shook his head and Dejun deflated a little. He felt the urge to kick a rock, but chances were that he would’ve slipped in the rain and tumbled all the way down the mountain and he’d rather not risk that.

“Are you lost?” The man came closer, his silver robes swishing in the wind and Dejun noticed that the man wasn’t as old as he had thought.

Up close, he didn’t look much older than the teenage boys that would sometimes chase after Dejun when they caught him walking across the market place in town.

It made Dejun feel wary, especially when the older boy reached out for him. It took him a moment, to realise that he was offering Dejun a hand to help him up.

Darkness gathered at Dejun's fingertips as he reached out to take it and the stranger’s eyes widened. He pulled his hand back as if burned and Dejun quickly lowered his own in shame.

He wanted to say that he hadn't meant to. That the darkness was something that happened to him, not something that he made happen. And that he hated it.

He was surprised when the stranger asked, voice laced with curiosity, "Does this happen often?"

Dejun shrugged, too embarrassed to answer.

He blinked when his head was lifted by gentle hands, wiping the rain out of his eyes like yéyé used to do for him after he had played in the mud outside.

There was no disgust in the stranger's eyes like Dejun had expected, that he had seen in his father's eyes so many times before when the shadows had come for Dejun, even though Dejun knew his eyes must have been black by now. He had seen it happen once before in his bathroom mirror before the darkness had shattered it.

“Do you know what is happening to you?”

He shook his head. “I try to keep it in, but—"

"You shouldn’t suppress it." Dejun marvelled at the gentle concern wrapped around the words. "That only feeds it.” 

"Bad things happen when the darkness comes," Dejun admitted. He thought that if he spoke quietly enough, maybe it wouldn't scare the stranger away. "It made the lambs go mad."

He blinked when he found himself embraced. Despite the rain, the stranger's cloak was dry. The older boy stroked a hand over his hair, like his father used to do before Dejun had begun to feel that pulsing in his veins, before he had begun to try and suppress its presence and the darkness had come to him, swallowed him to leave destruction in its wake.

"An obscurus is a terrible plight, but it’s not too late for you. I know a place where you can learn to embrace your power.” 

Dejun furrowed his brows. He didn't know what that meant. "Have you seen my mama?" he tried again.

The stranger shook his head. "Did she send you up the mountain?"

Dejun nodded.

The stranger unfastened his cloak. "Then you will come with me.”

Dejun shifted from one foot to the other. “I don’t—”

“Don't be afraid.” Somehow, it was easy to trust the older boy’s smile. “I promise that I will help you. My name is Zhoumi and I am the First Son of Weishen.” 

Dejun didn’t know what that meant, but he could tell by the way Zhoumi had said those words that they were important. That Zhoumi was important. Because he was the First Son of Weishen.

"Where will we go if I come with you?”

"Home."

Dejun felt hope flare up in his chest.

"My home," Zhoumi corrected.

Dejun tried not to show his disappointment. A part of him felt like crying, thinking of his mother and how much he missed her already. But there was also another, smaller part of him that felt a spark of something lighter, relief-like at the hand Zhoumi offered him. Looking at him, Dejun felt like the older boy was no stranger at all. Like they were the same.

Slowly, he took the older boy’s hand.

He wasn’t prepared for the lightning to strike, light curling around him in jagged lines before he was whisked away. One moment, he had been standing on the mountain path and the next he was weightless, hurtled into boundless space until his feet found footing again.

Zhoumi’s hand caught him before he could stumble, meet the rocky ground face first. He was still on the mountain path, Dejun realised, just further up. Much further up.

Dejun gaped at the sight in front of him. A thousand lights glimmered from the windows of the countless buildings that made up the complex in front of him, littering the side of the mountain. The mountain’s true peak was hidden above the clouds, but Dejun could tell that this was the highest anyone could get.

“What is this?” he asked, feeling a little breathless.

His blood was thrumming, darkness sparking at his fingertips, but this time the darkness didn’t stem from anguish and shame. This time, he felt excited.

“This is the Weishen Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” Zhoumi said, his eyes glimmering as he led them towards the massive stone gates.

Dejun felt something inside him settle as they passed under the grand stone arches. The buzz in his mind calmed and his muscles relaxed, blood cooling as if the stone itself was whispering to him, “Welcome, Xiao Dejun.” 

*

Over the tops of the dew-tipped trees, Dejun could see the sun rise to its highest point, framed by the shard-like peaks of the other mountains on the range. None of them were as mighty as the one Weishen was built upon.

Averting his eyes from the sight, he placed a hand on the thick branch he was sitting on, trying not to hate every green bud he found sprouting along its length. Spring always took its time to reach this high up in the mountains, but during the past week, it had slowly made its arrival.

Usually, Dejun looked forward to spring because spring was when the eldest students met the masters and he liked the quiet their graduation brought with it. This year, he dreaded it. 

“Why are you hiding in a tree?”

He nearly fell right off his branch at the sound of the all-familiar voice calling up to him. Looking down, he saw Zhoumi squinting up at him, arms crossed in front of his chest in a manner that Dejun had also become all too familiar with.

His limbs were stiff from how long he had been sitting in the tree, but still he hurried to climb back to the ground. He dropped right into Zhoumi’s arms when he missed the last branch. Zhoumi set him down with an unimpressed huff.

Dejun had grown a lot during the past year since he had come to Weishen, but so had the older boy. His face had lost the last of its roundness and his arms were strong, despite what his slender form let on. Dejun didn’t like it. It was just another reminder that their time was running out.

“The last time I checked, I told you to join the other youngest by the ponds to see if you can catch some wailwhelk tadpoles. Why are you not there?"

“They don’t like me.”

"The wailwhelk tadpoles don't like you?"

Dejun held the First's stare and Zhoumi's expression softened. “I’m sure that’s not true, Dejun. You may be younger than the other youngest, but that doesn't mean you can't join them.”

“They’re afraid of me.” He huffed when Zhoumi raised a disbelieving brow at him. “It’s true! They said I couldn’t join because my magic would scare all the wailwhelks away."

Dejun reached out his hand, let the magic brimming under his skin come to the surface. The mist was silver now instead instead of black. It had nearly taken an entire year, but eventually his Obscurus had vanished, the thrumming of magic in his blood now filling him with pride instead of shame.

The Masters’ reassurances had done little to ease the wariness the students at Weishen treated him with. Dejun wasn't yet one of them. He hadn't been allowed to. He wouldn't join any classes until the end of summer, permitted now that he was deemed safe.

"But it's not bad." He shrugged. "I don't like them anyways."

Zhoumi sighed. “Give them a chance, Dejun. You’re powerful and soon you will be taught, but you also need friends. It’s very important for a boy your age.”

To avoid the question, Dejun began walking. Zhoumi easily fell into step with him, his longer legs allowing for longer strides, but Dejun knew that Zhoumi would walk slowly so he could keep up.

“Will you leave once you’ve met the Masters?” Dejun hadn't meant for the question to come out, but there had been little else that had been occupying his mind as of late.

He had never dared to ask before, too afraid of the answer. A part of him had already been grieving these past couple of weeks.

Which was why he was all the more surprised when Zhoumi said, “No, actually, I thought I might become one of them.”

Dejun gaped up at him. "Are you serious?"

The First Son nodded.

For just a breath, Dejun felt like he might cry. He hadn't cried since he had last seen his mother. It was a thought he banned quickly, letting none of the emotions welling up in his chest show on his face.

Instead, he nodded, curt and solemn. “Then I will learn under you.”

Zhoumi smiled. “It would be my honour.”

“Why’d you come to get me anyways?" Dejun asked as they stepped out of the forest. You're not making me go to the ponds after all, right?"

"No, though I should. But today is an exciting day. New students have arrived. I thought you might like to greet them.”

Dejun deflated. That wasn’t all that exciting. New students arrived all the time when it was spring. Nonetheless, he obediently let Zhoumi push him in the direction of the lower square, where all visitors arrived after passing through the gates.

Walking anywhere with Zhoumi was always an ordeal. No matter what year the student that happened to pass them by, they all greeted their First Son. It filled Dejun with awe like nothing else he had learned since he had first stepped through Weishen's gates, the way the First Son of Weishen was treated. The other students looked upon Zhoumi with such liking, such reverence. He was their champion.

Zhoumi split from him when they passed by the hall of his master, but a stern glare made Dejun continue on his way. He had already ignored one direct order from the First Son this morning, he wouldn't make it two in a day.

He slowed once he neared the lower square, the sound of adult voices making him falter in his steps like they were prone to do. He could hear Grandmaster Wanglei's booming voice, and the excited chatter of what had to be the parents of the new students that had arrived.

He peeked around the corner, spotting the adult wizards first. As if they had dressed for the occasion, the witch and wizard were clad in earth-toned robes, made of the kind of thick, expensive fabric that would keep them warm this far up in the mountains even without any additional spells. Dejun might have admired the enchanted pearls dangling from the witch’s ears or the intricately carved details of the clasp on the wizard’s cloak, but he was more interested in the two boys that were trailing after them.

Dejun understood now why Zhoumi had told him to come and greet them. From the looks of it, they were no older than him. He couldn't deny the spark of excitement he felt. It was rare that any children under ten arrived.

Dejun could tell that the two boys were brothers, not so much by their looks but rather by the way they laughed. He watched as the smaller of the two broke away from the group, following the flutter of a four-winged butterfly that must have escaped from the plant houses.

The boy disappeared in the narrow between two buildings and Dejun felt his heartbeat kick up. Hoping that Zhoumi would forgive him one more rudeness, he hurried after him without greeting the people on the square. He kept to the shadows between buildings as he watched the boy stumble over the uneven grounds, turning corner after corner until Dejun knew the boy wouldn't find his way back if Dejun didn't help him.

It was good enough of an excuse to keep watching over him.

He came to a halt when the boy did, close enough to the plant houses that the smell of wet earth and a thousand different blossoms filled the air.

With the butterfly fluttering close to his head, the boy spun around.

"Hello!" he called out, his eyes searching the area where Dejun was hiding. "You can come out!"

Dejun flinched when he realised he had been caught. His heart thundered in his chest. Reluctantly, he stepped out of the shadows.

“Hi,” the boy smiled at him, so openly that Dejun felt taken aback for a moment.

"Hi," he gave back dumbly.

Unsure of what more to say, he found himself mute. He wasn't good at making conversation. Faintly, he felt his skin prickle with the silver mist rising from his skin and quickly hid his hands behind his back. He didn't want to scare the boy away.

Just then, the butterfly swooped down and settled on the boy's nose. Dejun had seen students much older faint when that happened. The boy only giggled, offering the butterfly his fingertip instead. It hopped over and the boy gently moved his hand for Dejun to look.

"Look! It's so pretty, don't you think?"

The butterfly was indeed pretty, its wings shimmering in hues of gold and blue. "Yes."

"I wish I was a butterfly." The boy let out a wistful sigh. "Or a bird. I'd love to be a bird. Then I could fly."

Dejun didn't know what to say to that. He didn't know what to say to keep the boy talking to him.

Just then, a panicked voice filled the air, “Kunhang! Kunhang, I told you not to run off! Kunhang, where—oh!"

Dejun turned his head just in time to see as the other new boy came running around the corner. He slithered to a halt as soon as he laid eyes on Dejun. Dejun held his breath as the panic in his eyes abided, was replaced by curiosity.

The other boy came to a halt in front of Dejun, effectively shielding his brother from view. He was only a few centimetres taller than Dejun, but somehow Dejun felt every single one as the boy sized him up.

His skin prickled.

Then, a broad grin appeared on his face and he pressed his hands together in formal greeting. “Hello, I’m Wong Yukhei."

“And I’m Wong Kunhang.” Kunhang added. 

He was loud. They both were. Somehow, it didn't bother Dejun. 

Kunhang stuck out a dirt-stained hand, elegantly side-stepping his brother. "It's nice to meet you."

Dejun looked between the both of them before he took it. He thought he felt every grain of earth and dust and dirt sink into his skin, but he found that he didn’t mind. The dirt was worth getting to hold onto Kunhang’s hand, if only for a moment.

“Xiao Dejun,” he introduced himself. He was quiet, so quiet in comparison. Nonetheless, he dared to hope.

"Do you go here?" Yukhei asked.

Dejun nodded.

"Cool!" Kunhang said. "I think we're going to be great friends!"

Dejun nodded again. _Friends,_ he thought. He didn't think he had ever wanted anything more.

*

Dejun could hear the arguing even from outside the door. Not for the first time, he was glad that Master Zhoumi had never taken on any other students in their cycle except for the three of them. This way, there was no one else seeking out their dormitory at this time of the night to hear the screaming match taking place inside its walls.

“Take it back!” Kunhang's voice echoed onto the hall. 

They weren’t oath-bound yet, but still Dejun's throat hurt as if he had been the one screaming. 

He slipped quietly into the room, meeting Yukhei’s eyes where his best friend was leaned with his back against the far wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest while he watched Kunhang scream himself hoarse. 

Dejun could see how much it pained Yukhei to remain stoic in the face of his crying brother, but he also knew that Yukhei wouldn’t give in. Not this time. Not when it came to this matter.

“Kunhang,” Dejun whispered, his words drowned out by Kunhang’s yelling, but Kunhang seemed to hear him nonetheless. He broke off mid-insult, whirling around.

Dejun caught him easily, gaining strength from the way Kunhang threw his arms around his neck. He allowed himself to savour the moment, even though he knew that Yukhei was tracking their every movement.

He had never done it before, but that had been before they had told him.

“You tell him!" Kunhang demanded as he pulled away, trying to tug Dejun further into the room. "Tell him he has to think of something else!”

"I can't." Dejun met Yukhei's gaze as he spoke. "We both named him as our closest relative. That means whatever challenge he thinks of, that is what we have to face if we want to complete the trials to become oath-bound.” 

Yukhei looked to the floor, then. Dejun didn’t hold it against him. 

The first challenge had been a matter of patience. Becoming an animagus was a long, arduous process, but the both of them had persevered.

The second challenge was a different matter. He had known Yukhei wouldn't go easy on him, but the difference between his and Kunhang's tasks was unarguable.

"Dejun is reckless," Yukhei had told his little brother in front of the masters. "Go and bring me a potion strong enough to heal shattered bones and burnt skin."

It was a laughably easy task considering Kunhang had chosen his specialisation in the healing arts. 

Dejun had been grateful for Yukhei’s clear bias. 

And then Yukhei had turned to him. In the four years since they had first met, Dejun didn't think he had ever seen Yukhei's eyes so void of light. "My brother is my heart. If he becomes your oath-bound, you have to bring me a replacement. Bring me the heart of a dragon."

Even now, Dejun felt the urge to walk outside and look up, up to where the peak of the mountain was hidden by a blanket of clouds. No human or wizard had ever climbed to the very top, but when he did, he would find dragons living there.

"This is ridiculous!" Kunhang stomped his foot. "He's going to get eaten alive if he flies up there!"

Dejun was inclined to agree, but that didn't change the rules or Yukhei's decision. Yukhei had given him his second challenge and he was going to complete it.

Yukhei knew it too, judging by the expression on his face.

 _You're worth the risk,_ Dejun wanted to tell Kunhang.

When neither he nor Yukhei said anything, Kunhang wiped his tears and stormed out of the room. Dejun withstood the urge to run after him. Undoubtedly, Kunhang would go into the plant house and flutter around between his seedlings until he had calmed down.

Dejun closed the door after him.

Yukhei was sprawled out to the floor when Dejun turned back around and Dejun felt no hesitance to join him. Together, they laid down on the mats they had pushed together in the middle of the room. The ceiling was enchanted to show the night sky and Dejun watched as the moon passed over the circular window.

It took some minutes for Yukhei to say, "You must know that you have my blessing."

Dejun felt his throat draw tight. He hadn’t realised, until that moment, how much those words would mean to him. How essential they were to him. Because Yukhei was essential to him.

He had gone behind his best friend's back and yet Yukhei still talked to him like they were brothers.

“You have my blessing," Yukhei repeated, "but I can’t make this easy for you. I _can't._ He’s my little brother. I would allow no one else but you to even ask for the bond with him, but I have to see that you can protect him."

It were heavy words, too heavy for a twelve year-old but there had always been depth beneath Yukhei’s easy-going attitude. He was, in essence, the most caring person Dejun had ever met. Different in the way Kunhang was, who healed them with thoughtful gestures and the wonder he held for the world, but just as fiercely loyal.

Dejun understood why there were whispers among the students. Whenever a First graduated, everyone ranked anew. Some among their year whispered that Yukhei would take over the title when spring came. Some whispered that it would be Dejun.

He quickly abandoned that train of thought.

He got up, offering Yukhei his hand.

After a moment, Yukhei took it.

"I'm going to bring you the heart of a dragon," Dejun promised him.

Yukhei's smile was grim, and full of trust.

*

Grief was suffocating.

Dejun felt his breath thin as he ascended the steps to the House of Mourning. The highest building on Weishen grounds was little more than a cave with a carved stone entrance, only accessible by narrow stairs hexed right into the side of the mountain. 

By now, the path was familiar to Dejun. 

The inside of the cave was illuminated by half a dozen flames, fires that flickered in golden bowls standing on the shelves that had been carved into the wall. As long as one was remembered, the fire would burn. 

Dejun felt a chill despite the warming spells. He was glad that he had brought a blanket.

Kunhang was sitting in his usual spot, unmoving and unseeing as he guarded his brother’s flame where it flickered strong and high in its bowl in the centre of the room. It wouldn’t move until Kunhang put it on the shelves. 

Dejun laid the blanket around Kunhang’s shoulders before he sat down next to him. He allowed himself a hundred breaths to stare into the fyre before he turned his head.Over the past two and a half months, he had tried to convince Kunhang that it hadn’t been his fault, but there was no getting through to the younger.

Dejun remembered it well, the night that Kunhang had burst into their room, breathless and crying like Dejun hadn’t seen him cry since their trials. He’d turned into a bird and back three times before Dejun managed to pin him down and coax coherent words out of him. 

“A beast,” Kunhang had told him, guilty tears spilling down his cheeks. 

A wolf in the woods.

Kunhang had stumbled upon it while he had been gathering mendmoss for one of his potions. It was only in bloom during the hours of the full moon, so Kunhang had gone out despite school rules strictly forbidding students to leave Weishen grounds after dusk. 

He hadn’t gone alone. Yukhei had come with him like the good older brother he was, always more easily swayed to bend the rules than Dejun was. 

The moment Yukhei’s name had left Kunhang’s mouth, Dejun had run to Zhoumi’s room. The master had only taken a single glance at him before he had asked where. 

Dejun had told him. He had also told him that he wanted to come with, but Zhoumi had ordered both him and Kunhang to stay in their room. They hadn’t slept that night, waiting and pacing until the masters had returned from the woods. The sun had risen by the time there was a knock on the door and Master Zhoumi stepped in.

In his arms, he had borne Yukhei’s wand and the torn, blood-soaked remnants of his silver cloak. 

Dejun hadn’t known what had been greater then, his own terror or the overwhelming, all-consuming grief he had felt through his bond with Kunhang. 

It hadn’t stopped, wave after wave crashing over them until Kunhang had shut him out. Dejun had begged him to let him back in, for them to bear it together, but Kunhang wouldn’t. 

Even now, Dejun could see him fracturing and knew that Kunhang would rather let his own grief consume him than share it like they were supposed to, if that meant running the risk of Dejun losing it too. 

Dejun wanted to tell him that it was too late for that, that Yukhei had been his family longer than he had been with his real parents, but little of what he had said during the past two and a half months had made it through. 

He was surprised when Kunhang looked up at him now, the faintest hint of a smile on his face. “Thank you for the blanket.” 

Dejun could have cried with relief. He jumped on the opportunity of having Kunhang’s lucid attention. “Is there any more I can do?” 

He knew he sounded desperate, even to his own ears, but he didn’t care. He _was_ desperate. 

His heart skipped a beat when Kunhang kissed him, the faintest press of chapped lips against Dejun’s own. It set his entire being alight. 

Kunhang’s words were a whisper against his ear, “Would you bring me its head if I asked you?” 

Dejun couldn’t hide his surprise. “You want the wolf’s head?” 

Kunhang nodded, the fire reflecting in his hollow eyes. 

Dejun grasped onto his hand, brushing his fingers over the markings on the back of Kunhang’s knuckles. “Of course.” 

He would. He would have done anything, even hunt down the beast that had killed his best friend, if that was what it took. There was nothing he wouldn’t have done to bring back the light to Kunhang’s eyes. 

He stole another kiss, pressed one against Kunhang’s temple before he rose to his feet. Kunhang held onto his hand before he could leave. 

“Don’t go alone!” The panic in his eyes was thinly-veiled. 

Dejun shook his head, forcing a smile onto his face. “Don’t worry, xīn gān. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you the wolf’s head.”

He left the cave feeling hopeful for the first time in months. The violence in Kunhang’s request was surprising, but he took it as a sign that things were getting better. The wrong kind of emotion was better than none at all. 

With the heavy thrum of the magic that bound them in his blood, he knew that they could overcome anything as long as they were together. 

*

Blood dripped from the leather pouch in his hand as he crossed the lower square. 

The few students that were there hurried to step out of his way. There had been a time when he had coveted nothing more than to move among them as First. As a child, he had dreamed about being treated with the same reverence that he had watched Zhoumi be treated with. Now, nearly a decade later, he barely spared any of the other students a glance as they greeted him.

He knew that they looked at him differently than they had at Yukhei. Their reverence for him was respectful instead of adoring, running just as deeply but stemming from a different place. Dejun had never quite managed to make people fall in love with him the way Yukhei had. The thought made Dejun smile despite himself. 

He had only ever wanted two things in his life. For Kunhang, he had fought and bled and shed blood and he had come out victorious. The day he had received his oath markings had been the proudest day of his life, because he had earned those markings. 

The day he had stood in front of the mourning bowl as First and coaxed the flame that would remember his best friend to life, that had been the worst. His new title was an inheritance, not an achievement. He was the First Son of Weishen and he had never wanted to be Second more direly in his life. 

It was cold in the House of Mourning when he entered, the cave drafty despite its singular entrance. Yukhei’s flame flickered high and bright as it always did, as it would forever if Dejun had any say in it. 

It was the silence he noticed first. Cold creeped into his veins, his heart beginning to pound against his rib cage. It knew, even before he did. 

“Kunhang?” he called out. 

There was no answer. The pouch with the wolf’s head slipped from his fingers, blood spilling onto the lithic tiles, spreading around Yukhei’s bowl. 

Uncaring of his robes, he fell to his knees, silver mist rising from his marked hands as he felt into the bond.

 _Kunhang!_ he called out. 

There was no answer. He was shut out, like he had been for the past months. 

Panic building in his chest, Dejun pushed against the barricades Kunhang had put up. Kunhang had become apt at it during the past couple of months, clamping down on the magic that tied them together to spare Dejun from the worst of his grief, but Kunhang hadn’t chosen offensive magic as his specialisation. 

Dejun had. 

Feeling for any weakness in Kunhang’s defense, Dejun dug his fingers in, pushed and pushed until he brought about a crack in the wall. It held only for the briefest of moments, but it was enough. 

His eyes rolled back into his head as he saw with different eyes, could taste sea salt on his tongue and hear waves crash against the bow of a ship. 

_I’m sorry,_ Kunhang’s voice resonated in his head before the bond went silent once more. 

Dejun roared. Now that he had given himself to the magic that tied him to another, pain overtook him, intensifying with every metre that Kunhang brought between them.

They weren’t meant to be apart. 

Gritting his teeth, Dejun raised his head. 

He knew there was only one reason Kunhang would do that to him, subject themselves both to this kind of torment. With shaking fingers, he grabbed onto the pouch and threw it into the fire. He watched as the flames swallowed the head of the wolf and once it was nothing more than ashes, Dejun reached out a hand.

Silver mist rose from his marked hands, the skin itching and burning with the strain on the bond. The mist spiralled upwards before it came down and extinguished the flames. 

If his best friend wasn’t dead, he didn’t need a mourning fire. 

Dejun had been lied to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, the might of Weishen. Thank you so much for reading!  
>   
> [FANART OF DEJUN DEAR FROM THIS CHAPTER](https://twitter.com/gyelanyang/status/1346104380240572416?s=20)
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
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> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
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> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
> [TCOA character aesthetics!](https://twitter.com/petitlavande_/status/1306391294944710657?s=20)  
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> If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! It makes my soul very happy <3


	25. Cake

They ended up in the kitchens. It would have been rude after all, Donghyuck argued, not to celebrate the arrival of their new friends with a cake. 

Jisung knew he was staring, but he couldn’t quite help himself. He had never met anyone who was even remotely like himself. And he wondered, as he watched the two foreign boys follow Lucas around the kitchen like ducklings, whether the two of them understood what it was like to be like him.

He thought Dejun might. Where Kunhang was excitedly chewing his brother’s ear off, the other Weishen boy was quiet beside his oath-bound, his gaze sweeping across the kitchen every couple of seconds. He looked like he was ready for any one them to suddenly pull their wand and attack.

Jisung knew the feeling. He never found rest when he and Chenle were in public. Not when he had sworn to protect something so precious.

“You know I could translate for you if you wanted to talk to him.” Chenle nudged his side. The glimmer in his eyes told Jisung that his oath twin was well aware of what he was thinking.

They couldn’t hear each other’s thoughts like some students liked to speculate behind their backs, but it was never hard for either of them to guess how the other felt. Jisung could easily find the honesty in Chenle’s eyes, the overwhelming fondness Chenle felt for him echoing in his bones.

He shrugged, looking down to tie the knot of Chenle’s baking apron for him. “I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“I’m sure that would be no problem. They’re like us. Or a version of it. Aren’t you curious?”

Jisung was, but he wasn’t good at approaching people. Just then, Renjun appeared beside them, a mixing bowl and whisk in his hand.

“Batter duty,” he announced as he set both items down.

Chenle snatched the whisk up with a gleeful laugh while Jisung was taken aside by Renjun.

Renjun pulled his wand, twirling it between his fingers.

“I learned this spell from my brother. It allows you to understand everything that I would, so you can talk to them.” The secretive smile on Renjun’s face told Jisung that he had overheard his and Chenle’s conversation. “If you _do_ want to talk to them.”

Jisung nodded and tilted his head so Renjun could press the tip of his wand against his temple. His Mandarin was rudimental at best and he didn’t want to depend on any of his friends to play translator, though he knew all of them would have.

Renjun left him with a pat on the shoulder and a _“Good luck!”_ in Mandarin that Jisung was now able to understand as if it had been said in his mother tongue.

It turned out that he didn’t have to come up with some great excuse to approach Lucas’ brother when Kunhang approached them first, looking excited about the carton of eggs he had been handed.

"Chenle, Jisung," he said, pointing at them while he said their names. The broad smile on his face was infectuous. _“Do you mind if I join you in making the batter?”_

Beaming, Chenle took the eggs out of Kunhang's hand and handed him the bowl instead, telling him to hold onto it while he measured out the flour. Jisung wasn’t jealous of the way they fell into conversation easily. He dutifully held the whisk.

When Chenle and Kunhang giggled together, his eyes flickered across the kitchen island. Dejun looked physically pained where he remained standing beside Lucas and it took Jisung a moment to realise that he probably was.

Yangyang had relayed the entire conversation that had happened in the Slytherin dorm to him, Jungwoo and Donghyuck on their way to the kitchen, and if it was true what Lucas’ brother had said, then he and Dejun had been separated for months.

Jisung couldn’t even imagine the torment of being separated from Chenle for that long. As it was, they barely withstood an hour in separate parts of the castle and there was no question that if they ever put such a distance between them, it would kill Chenle.

Jisung was pretty sure if _that_ ever happened, his heart would give out too. A cool hand on his cheek pulled him from such thoughts and he turned his head to meet Chenle’s frown with a smile.

"I’m okay," he mouthed and they both turned to where Kunhang was watching them with gleaming eyes.

 _"Does it hurt?"_ he directed at Chenle, voice laced with gentle curiosity. _"The absence of your heart?"_

_"Jisung carries it well for me."_

Kunhang nodded. Jisung could see the understanding in his eyes. It put a part of him at ease, to see that Kunhang was so readily accepting of what made him and Chenle freaks in the eyes of all other strangers.

 _"Is that how it is for you?"_ Chenle asked the foreign boy. _"Did Dejun save you like Jisungie did for me?"_

Kunhang shook his head. _"We chose to become oath-bound. It's a great honour for us. Not many get to perform the spell, because not many brave the challenges."_

_"Challenges?"_

Kunhang smiled, lifting his hands to show them the inked skin. _"Three of them."_ He traced the three intertwining lines that made up the pattern of the ink with his finger. _“My Dejun fought hard for us and so did I. We persevered and we became oath-bound.”_

Jisung furrowed his brows. It was hard to ask the question with the way Kunhang’s eyes were glowing with such pride at his bond, but there was also this itch of confusion he felt. Maybe he couldn’t understand because his bond with Chenle stemmed from a place so dark and grievous, but it was hard not to wonder, _“Why would you do that to yourself?”_

Kunhang blinked as if surprised. _“You see it as a burden?”_

Jisung faltered before shock to him over. He glanced at Chenle, anxious that Chenle might think that he did, but Chenle was only watching him.

“No.” He took Chenle’s cold hand, his heart thundering in his chest. Their heart. _“No, never.”_

Chenle smiled, squeezing his hand.

Kunhang watched them with knowing eyes. _“The spell that Dejun and I committed to is most coveted where we come from. It makes us stronger, more affine to our magic and how to wield it. Though, that is not the biggest perk in my eyes.”_

Kunhang turned to look where his oath-bound was still standing, his shoulder pressed against Lucas’ while they conversed in hushed tones. As if Kunhang had called his name, Dejun turned his head and Jisung thought that it looked like Dejun would have given him the moon if Kunhang had asked for it.

 _“Our hearts beat in sync, both in battle and peace. The spell that binds us was originally created for war, but I’ve always preferred peace. No matter where we find ourselves though, Dejun is mine and I am his until the end of time. It’s a great gift.”_ Kunhang’s eyes seemed luminous as he turned towards Jisung. _“Wouldn’t you agree?”_

It had been that way for Jisung with Chenle, but he had never made an effort to see it that way. Shame made Jisung’s cheeks flush red. He should have. Despite its origin, the bond he shared with Chenle was the greatest gift that he had ever been given.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” He was glad that Chenle would be able to read the truth in his eyes.

Because it was the truth. Their bond was worth every missed class and foregone hobby, every nightmare and ounce of separation pain. He would have borne it all longer than a lifetime if it meant keeping Chenle next to him, magic running in his veins and eyes alight with borrowed life. 

Chenle leaned into him, pressing a kiss to his cheek that made Kunhang beam. He was a healer, Jisung realised. Someone who sought to mend when he saw something awry. It made him so similar to his brother, Jisung couldn’t help but smile.

“Is the batter ready?” Donghyuck called from the head end of the table where he was standing with Renjun and Yangyang, a mountain of rasped chocolate between them.

“Yes!” Chenle squeaked and they hurried to get to work.

*

Mark still wasn’t a hundred percent sure the two Weishen boys moving around the Hogwarts kitchens weren’t a figment of his imagination.

He had been well asleep in his bed, happy that he had managed to go to bed early after a long evening of studying, when he had woken up to a silver duck patronus quacking into his ear, Donghyuck’s voice telling him to come to the kitchens as soon as possible.

A part of Mark had already seen himself fighting off another catastrophe while he had hurried down the Grand Staircase in his pyjamas. It was an expectation that just came with having the friends he did, but he had not expected to find what he had when he had come into the kitchens.

Yangyang had taken him aside when he had come in and explained the situation to him, Renjun had shared his mind with him so he could understand and Donghyuck had told him not to worry. Watching Lucas interact with his brother and friend, Mark thought that he was happy for him.

It was just that not all of them seemed to be happy.

Mark knew there was no malicious intent behind the tense set to Jungwoo’s shoulders, the strain to his smile whenever Lucas glanced in their direction, but it weighed on Mark all the same.

They had been tasked with filling cream into piping bags and Mark contemplated taking the task off Jungwoo’s hands, but the way Jungwoo was ripping at the paper didn’t make him eager to interrupt.

Mark looked across the table, wishing that Donghyuck would come over. Not just because Mark missed him, but Donghyuck was better at finding the right words in such a situation, words that wouldn’t make Jungwoo shy away from him if he tried to pry.

Jungwoo was Mark’s best friend, but where Mark was upfront with his emotions, Jungwoo guarded them closely to his heart. He did so because of how jarred he had been by the way the world had treated him when his veela blood had begun to show itself. People tended to crush the beautiful things they couldn’t have and Jungwoo’s experience had been no different.

Mark swallowed down the guilt he felt over how he himself had treated Jungwoo during the time he had believed his best friend and ex-boyfriend had been fooling around behind his back. All of it had erased a lot of the sweetness in Jungwoo and replaced it with paranoia.

Mark could see it in Jungwoo’s eyes now, along with fear, as they watched Lucas talk with Dejun.

Subtly, he shuffled closer. “A knut for your thoughts?” 

The shrug of Jungwoo’s shoulders was a little too nonchalant for Mark’s taste. “It’s nothing.”

Mark waited patiently while Jungwoo folded another piping bag. He knew Jungwoo would talk to him eventually. Just because Jungwoo was trying to hide his emotions didn’t mean he didn’t have them. Finally, Jungwoo folded the last of the baking sheets into the desired shape. Mark watched as he traced the edges with a blunt nail.

“What if—” Jungwoo blinked, clearly surprised by the way his own voice had given out on him. He cleared his throat to try again, “What if they don’t like me?”

Mark furrowed his brows. “Why wouldn’t they? You’re lovely, Jungwoo.”

Jungwoo looked like every single one of Mark’s words pained him. “I don’t know.”

Mark shuffled closer once more. He wasn’t as silver-tongued as Donghyuck, but he was here. “They’re going to like you, Jungwoo. There’s nothing not to like about you.”

“What if they think I’m taking advantage of him? Or that I’ve charmed him? What if they think he deserves better? What if—”

“Bullshit.”

Jungwoo gaped at him. Now, it was on Mark to clear his throat. “I mean it, that’s bullshit, Woo.” He tried for a grin, bumping their shoulders together. “We all know you would never do that. And from what Yangyang has told me, Lucas’ brother has been here for some time in his animagus form. Apart from the fact that we’re all glad he didn’t turn out to be a murderous cat, that also means that he pretty much saw the whole thing between you and Lucas unfold. Surely, he would have intervened if he would have felt the need to.”

Jungwoo bit his lip, clearly mulling Mark’s words over.

As if Mark had called his name, Kunhang chose that moment to float over to them. He seemed eager to strike up a conversation with everyone he could. Yangyang had said he had been a bird before.

_“Hi!”_

Jungwoo remained quiet, so Mark hurried to reach out his hand. “Mark Lee,” he introduced himself. _“Though, you probably know that.”_

Yangyang had also told him that, technically, Kunhang had been longer at Hogwarts than he had this school year.

Kunhang nodded. _“I remember the day you came. Everybody was so happy.”_ His eyes flickered over to Jungwoo. _“Almost.”_

Mark winced at the memory of his first day back, of how he had chased Jungwoo all the way into the bathroom to find Lucas with him already. The thought made him smile. Jungwoo had to be more confident in Lucas’ dedication to him.

Kunhang stared at Jungwoo, whose eyes seemed glued to the table top in front of them. Kunhang’s smile didn’t falter.

“Jungwoo,” he said, doing his best to get the syllables right.

Jungwoo blinked up at him. The fear in his eyes was only visible for a second, but it had been there. Mark had seen it and he was sure Kunhang had, too.

Kunhang’s smile didn’t falter. He took Jungwoo’s hands in his. _“Thank you."_

Jungwoo blinked in surprise.

 _"You took care of my brother when I couldn't,"_ Kunhang explained. There was thinly-veiled hero worship in his eyes when he looked at Lucas, and incredible guilt. _"He went into the woods that night for me. So I wouldn't go alone. And when the wolf came and he yelled at me to run, I did. Maybe if I hadn't, things would have been different."_

 _"They wouldn't have been."_ The faintest of smile appeared on Jungwoo's lips.

He shared it with Kunhang, like they shared the certainty of how true Jungwoo's words were. They knew it was true because they knew Lucas.

Tears pooled in Kunhang's eyes as he ducked his head. _"Thank you. You brought him back to life. Thank you."_

Slowly, Jungwoo wriggled one of his hands free to pat the top of Kunhang's head. _"He told me about you. You are his brother. He cares about you so much. I don't doubt he would have saved you a thousand times over if given the chance."_

The smile that bloomed on Kunhang’s face made Mark understand why Lucas had given everything to protect him. It made Mark laugh, how much Kunhang looked like his brother in his eagerness to throw his arms around Jungwoo, tackling him into a hug that left Jungwoo wheezing.

The heaviness in the air dissipated and Mark was happy to see Jungwoo's shoulders relax as Kunhang asked whether he could join them in their piping bag adventures.

 _"Sure,"_ Jungwoo said.

Mark picked up the first of the piping bags and they got to filling it. Kunhang, now that they were at ease, seemed to have boundless wonder for everything around them and didn’t tire of commenting on it.

Mark was just about to scrape out the last of their mixing bowl when Kunhang's head whipped around, his voice high-pitched, panicky as he said, _“What did you just say?”_

*

_“They seem to like you very much.”_

Lucas smiled as he watched his friends bustle around the kitchen. The sight of Kunhang laughing with Chenle and Jisung made his heart swell.

_“They have been great friends to me. Much better than I deserved.”_

_“That’s not true.”_ Dejun’s expression was stern when Lucas looked at him.

Master Zhoumi used to say that Dejun reserved all his patience to deal with Kunhang and Lucas’ antics, so none was left for false pretences.

Nonetheless, there was a flicker of earnest emotion in Dejun’s eyes when he said, _“You deserve everything you have built for yourself here and more.”_

Lucas smiled. He knew Dejun would have likely kicked him in the shin if he had tried to hug him again, so he settled for pressing their shoulders together.

 _“How have you been while I was gone?”_ It was something Lucas had spent countless of nights thinking about, how his brother and best friend were faring thinking he had died. 

Dejun was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, _“Kunhang was inconsolable, as you can imagine. I…dealt.”_

Lucas winced. _“I’m really sorry, Dejun.”_

_“We waited up for you that night. When Master Zhoumi came back to break the news—Kunhang cried for days. We lit your flame. Your parents were there. Everybody mourned you.”_

Lucas imagined it, Weishen decked out in white to mourn the loss of their First Son. Guilt filled him. He was not sorry that he had chosen to live, but he was sorry for the pain his death had caused his family.

_“I killed the wolf who turned you.”_

Lucas’ mouth dropped open as he turned to face his friend properly. _“You—”_

 _“I did."_ Stone cold. Lucas and his brother had made Weishen their home as children, but Dejun _was_ Weishen. As inevitable as the mountain itself. _"I took Third and Fourth and we went into the forest. It took us days, but we found the beast and then I severed its head. I killed the wolf."_

Lucas inhaled, but no words came out of his mouth.

_“You know I can’t keep your secret, right?”_

Where Dejun's confession had sent him reeling, these words made Lucas' heart still in his chest. He closed his eyes and found that he was not afraid. He had known the very moment that he had laid eyes on Dejun within Hogwarts' walls that he would be at his mercy.

He nodded. _"You are the First Son of Weishen now. You must do right by them."_

 _"Yes. It’s my duty, Yukhei. As long as I’m the First Son of Weishen, I have to go back and tell them what I’ve seen.”_ Dejun’s eyes were bright despite the severity of his words and Lucas felt things fall into place in his mind when he understood the hidden meaning behind what Dejun was trying to tell him. 

His heart seized in his chest. _“What are you thinking of?”_

_“Remember what you asked of me? For the third challenge?”_

Lucas' mind was overtaken by memory, but he blinked the images away as quickly as they had risen to the surface.

He shook his head. _“Kunhang will kill us both.”_

There was dire amusement in the corner of Dejun’s smile _. “Well, if things go to plan I’ll take half the work load off his back.”_

 _“Are you really that confident?”_ Lucas had meant for his tone to be light-hearted, just a jab between old friends, but he felt his throat close up. The truth was that Dejun had every right to be confident.

A part of Lucas wanted to ask Dejun to forget. A part of him wanted to remind him that they were brothers in everything but worthless blood. That Dejun could just keep his secret.

But he couldn't that to either of them. He wouldn't. It wasn't Dejun's fault that Lucas had chosen exile over succumbing to his wounds. He had lied and now home had come for him. And still, Dejun was offering him a chance.

Instinctively, Lucas' wand-strong hand clenched and unclenched.

 _"Okay,"_ he said, a little too loudly. Instinctively, he sought out Jungwoo, standing with Mark and Kunhang at the other end of the table. They were busy filling cream into piping bags, lauhging between the three of them.

The sight made Lucas so happy he thought he might have burst with it. He smiled when Jungwoo glanced at him.

 _I’m sorry,_ he wanted to say, but Jungwoo wouldn’t have understood. Not yet and maybe never. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from Jungwoo, but he knew that Dejun would hear him nonetheless.

_“I invoke the right of the third challenge.”_

It was Kunhang who reacted first.

 _"What did you just say?"_ Frosting splattered onto the table as Kunhang dropped his piping bag, walking around the table with quick steps. _“No, Yukhei, take it back!”_

Lucas wanted to, but he couldn’t. Dejun was right. Between what both of them had become, this was the only way. He couldn’t ask Dejun to lie, but he could win back the power to force him to.

This time, he met Dejun’s awaiting gaze. _“I stand by what I said.”_

 _“No, you don’t!”_ Kunhang turned towards Dejun. _"Tell him you don't accept!"_

_“I can't, xīn gān. You know I can’t refuse if he challenges me.”_

_“Yes, you can!”_ Kunhang’s eyes filled with tears. _“You can say no! You can just walk away! We both can! I’ll—I’ll go home with you right now. We can leave right this moment!”_

_“Kunhang.”_

_It’s okay,_ Lucas wanted to tell him, but his brother was having none of it.

 _“Why are you so stupid?”_ he yelled, jabbing a flour-smeared finger in Lucas' direction. _“You know you can’t win against him in a duel!”_

On the other side of the kitchen table, Lucas could see his friends grow antsy at the growing volume of their voices.

 _"Kunhang—"_ he tried again.

"What is this about a duel?" Donghyuck asked.

"What are you talking about?" Yangyang added.

Jungwoo, wide-eyed, sought out Lucas' gaze, "Duel?"

“They want to duel.” Renjun said, repeating what everyone had already heard, “and Kunhang just said that Lucas can’t win against Dejun.”

"What?" Jungwoo gasped. “Why?”

 _“Why can’t you win against him in a duel, Lucas?”_ Yangyang asked him directly.

It was Dejun who answered him. He rolled his neck to look at Yangyang, the corners of his mouth quirking into a mirthless smile. _“Because no one ever has.”_

*

Lucas counted the breaths that escaped him as he lay with his eyes closed, elegant fingers running through his hair. Jungwoo was already looking at him when he opened his eyes, and despite everything, Lucas' smile came easy to him.

"You look beautiful in the moon light."

Jungwoo shook his head, shuffling closer on the bed they shared so that their knees knocked together and foreheads touched. Happiness, Lucas thought, was in fleeting moments like these.

“You won’t run away with me if I ask you, would you?” It was a no more than a whisper, half laced with humour and half overwhelming in its sincerity.

Lucas wished he could have given Jungwoo the answer he wanted to hear. “No.”

Jungwoo nodded, as if he had already expected it.

"I just don't understand it," he murmured against Lucas’ lips, voice wet. "Why do you have to duel?"

They had gone over it a dozen times since the first time in the kitchens and now, but Lucas would explain it a dozen times more if it would keep Jungwoo from crying. He grasped onto Jungwoo's hand, pressed a kiss to each individual knuckle.

"The night I was bitten, my Master gave me a choice. I could either succumb to my wounds, or he could seal my wounds with silver and dittany and I would leave Weishen that very same night. I chose the latter. I knew that it would mean exile and I knew that I would never be able to return, but I still chose to live."

He placed Jungwoo's hand on his cheek before he did the same to Jungwoo. Jungwoo, whom he loved.

"No one could know. What I did was so selfish. What happened with Jeno could have happened there. I chose myself over everyone else and if they knew I was still alive, they would have had every right to kill me. They still do."

"But Dejun is your friend. Why would he tell on you?"

"Dejun is Weishen's First Son. He can't lie to them. I already betrayed them. I won't make him do the same."

Jungwoo shook his head. "That's not fair."

Lucas smiled. "This is the fairest I can make it. If I win, I am First once more and then I can order Dejun to keep my secret. It won’t be his fault, then, when he lies to their faces. He is as close to me as a brother and that is what I will do for him.”

“Self-sacrificing bastard.”

Lucas smiled.

Jungwoo moved deeper under the covers to bury his head in Lucas’ chest. Lucas gladly held him, pressing his face into Jungwoo's hair and inhaling the scent of jasmine and morning dew. With slow, winding motions, he rubbed Jungwoo’s back.

He couldn’t believe he had become so fortunate, to have this night where he could lie with the boy he loved until morning.

"I dreamt about you, sometimes, when I was in the hospital. Well, not about _you,_ but...I dreamt of having someone like you. Someone to share my life with if I got to keep it, someone who would make all of it worth it."

Jungwoo exhaled wetly against his bare shoulder. 

"You've made all of it worth it, Jungwoo."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Is it true that you can't win?"

Lucas looked over to his own bed. The curtains were drawn but Lucas knew that behind them, there was a pole fox curled up on top of his duvet, a blue flycatcher nestled in its fur.

"Dejun is First now, but so was I. When he asked to become my brother's oath-bound, I asked him to duel me to complete his tasks. He won."

Jungwoo gasped.

Lucas smiled. "He won because he had something to fight for. He would have duelled me until death for my brother."

Tomorrow at midnight, they had decided.

"Now, it's on me to fight for what I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll see who's First.  
>   
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	26. The First Son of Weishen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been some time. I apologise for the unusually long time it took me to update, but I am happy to say I didn't waste the almost two months I was gone. I finished my first degree which thankfully means I get a break now which in turn means I get to write a lot! 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter! It's one of those I saw most vividly while writing and I hope you do too! 
> 
> Also a big shoutout to my life-saver Jiani for helping me with the Chinese of Lucas' final spell. You made it perfect <3

When Donghyuck had been young, magic had been entirely exciting to him. Even before he had received his Hogwarts letter, he had loved running around Seo Manor, chasing the ghoul from the attic and asking his uncle to show him all the magical trinkets in the cellars. 

He could remember it very well, the night he had learned that magic was just as capable of taking away as it was of giving. When he set foot onto the clearing in the Forbidden Forest now, it was hard not to see what he had seen then. The memory played out vividly in front of his eyes. It was his worst one.

That night it had been as cold outside as it was now, snow clinging to the ground and his breath fogging up in front of his face as he had watched the bad woman raise her wand. He hadn’t known it then, what an Unforgivable Curse was, but he had seen the effects of it. He had seen how the spell had brought Johnny to his knees and made his invincible cousin scream. Even now Donghyuck could hear it, could feel Ten’s arms wrap around him to drag him away and the way his own throat had gone raw with how much he had yelled for everything to stop.

“Why did you do that?” he had asked Johnny, days later in the infirmary when everyone else had been asleep and Donghyuck had needed Johnny to keep the nightmares away from him.

His cousin had smiled at him, like he sometimes did when Donghyuck reminded him that he was the weaver of Donghyuck’s right and wrong. “She was going to hurt my friends. I had to protect them.”

“Why did you do that?” Donghyuck had asked Johnny again, weeks later when he had heard that the bad woman had not been sentenced in the way she should have.

“Her death would have hurt my friend. I had to protect him.”

 _Crazy._ Back then, even Donghyuck had heard the rumours. That the bad woman was crazy, and her son was too. Doyoung had never seemed crazy to Donghyuck, but four years later, Donghyuck could see how close they had come.

“Why did she try to hurt us?” he had asked Jaehyun once, because asking Doyoung directly had been too scary.

“She didn’t mean to. Not really.” Jaehyun had soothed his anxieties with his ever-calm tone. “She did it because she was grieving. Love is the best thing in the world, but it can also destroy you. When Doyoung’s mother lost Doyoung’s father, it destroyed her.” 

Donghyuck hadn’t truly understood _that_ until he had found himself on top of the Astronomy Tower, denied after he had begged for his love to stay with him. It was fine now because Mark had come back eventually, but back then Donghyuck had felt murderous too, the fabric of his life unravelling faster than he had been able to hold onto the strings.

Having been there, Donghyuck had seen what grief could do to a person. He wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. Certainly not his friends.

He turned to look towards where Lucas and Jungwoo stood by the trees, so tightly intertwined that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

Having been raised by Johnny, the sight tickled the part of his brain that was eager to find a solution for their problem, the fault in the plan that could be manipulated for a favourable outcome. But even if he had found it, he couldn't have acted upon it.

This duel was Lucas' own and Donghyuck had to let him fight it.

Snow crunched beneath his boots as he turned away from the couple and walked further onto the clearing. Bad memories were entrenched in the earth here. He just hoped that tonight would be different.

“It’s cold,” Yangyang complained where he was walking next to him, blowing into his hands.

Donghyuck smiled. “I told you to stay in the castle with the others.”

All of them had wanted to come, but they had quickly decided to keep the twins out of it, the risk of a stray curse hitting either of them too great. Jeno had been adamant about coming in case things went awry, but both Renjun and Jaemin had argued that he hadn’t recovered enough yet. In the end, Renjun had distracted him while Jaemin had locked them in the fifth-year Slytherin dormitory with Chenle and Jisung, planting himself in front of the door and yelling at them to knock if someone had to pee.

“As if.” Yangyang scoffed. He looked to where Dejun and Kunhang were standing a couple of metres away from Lucas and Jungwoo. “If this goes wrong, I’m calling dibs on the whole vengeance gig. They had him for a long time, but Lucas is ours now. This shouldn’t be happening anyways.” 

Donghyuck sighed. He pulled his wand and cast a warming spell over Yangyang’s hands before he said, “Jungwoo tried to talk Lucas out of it. Lucas insists that he needs to do this, so there’s little else we can do but be here with him.” 

“We should keep faith for now. Lucas is talented. He can win,” Mark said as he joined them, shaking snow out of his hair.

He had wandered off to cast a sheet of ice across the crevice that split the clearing in two, lest either of the duellists fell in. Donghyuck helped him brush the snow from his hair before he turned. Jungwoo and Lucas were still entangled with each other, but Dejun and Kunhang had separated. Kunhang walked towards them on stiff legs, smiling shyly as he joined their row.

Donghyuck felt pity for the Weishen boy. He wouldn’t have known what to do if he ever had to watch Johnny and Mark raise their wands against each other. He couldn’t imagine how Kunhang felt, having to endure his lover and his brother doing so.

He was surprised when Kunhang sought him out. “Thank you,” the Weishen boy said, wriggling his fingers. They were covered in the gloves Donghyuck had lent him.

Donghyuck inclined his head. “Of course.” And because he probably wouldn’t get a better opportunity, he asked, “May I ask you a question?”

Kunhang seemed surprised, but motioned him to go on.

“Last night in the kitchens, you said Lucas can’t win against Dejun in a duel. Why did you say that? Is it because of your bond?”

“Yes and no.” Kunhang’s smile was as fond as it was pained when he looked at his oath-bound. Dejun had taken position in the middle of the clearing, his arms folded across his chest as he waited for Lucas to ready himself. “Our bond makes him stronger, but even without me, he would be…” Kunhang frowned when the word wouldn’t come to him.

Yangyang made a suggestion and Kunhang nodded.

“Impossible to win against,” Yangyang translated. 

Kunhang nodded. “My Dejun did not lie. No one has ever won against him. It’s because of his magic.” Kunhang pressed a finger against his lips.

“He’s capable of silent magic?” Donghyuck felt dread settle in his stomach.

Kunhang nodded. “At home, they call him _èmèng.”_

Yangyang didn’t give a translation this time, but Donghyuck knew that word. He had heard it come over Chenle’s lips a thousand times. _Nightmare._

Looking at Dejun, Donghyuck could see it. The current First Son of Weishen looked entirely calm as he waited for the duel to begin, silver fog raising from the ground surrounding his feet. If Dejun was capable of silent magic, that meant he was unpredictable. Lucas wouldn’t be able to defend himself against his curses until they hit him. Donghyuck’s heart sank.

He tried not to let any of it show on his face as he watched Jungwoo pull away from Lucas and walk towards them. His steps were determined, gloved hands balled into fists by his side. Donghyuck grabbed onto his arm as soon as he was within reach. He was surprised when Kunhang reached out for Jungwoo, too.

He didn’t know what Kunhang did, but as soon as he grasped onto Jungwoo’s hand, some of the pain in Jungwoo’s eyes faded.

“My brother is strong,” Kunhang said.

Jungwoo shot him a tight-lipped smile. He was clinging onto the cloak Lucas had laid over his shoulders. Donghyuck commented on it by tugging on the thick wool.

“He said that Taeyong bought it for him and he didn’t want the nice fabric to go to waste,” Jungwoo murmured, leaning against Donghyuck’s side.

“Idiot,” Yangyang whispered, but he sounded as pained as Jungwoo looked.

Mark took a step forward and raised his wand, casting purple strings of light into the air that swirled around them, falling and knitting together until they were enclosed by a shimmering barrier that faded into invisibility the moment the last edge touched the ground.

“For protection,” Mark explained to a curious looking Kunhang before he turned his head to where Lucas and Dejun had come to stand in front of each other in the middle of the clearing. “So that none of their curses can accidentally harm us.”

Donghyuck knew that this was only one half of the spell. Much more than the barrier would keep harm out, it would keep the five of them inside. It was Lucas who had asked Mark to cast the spell this way. When Jungwoo shifted beside him, Donghyuck tightened his grip on Jungwoo’s arm under the guise of offering him more support. Lucas knew his boyfriend well.

A short glance at Kunhang told him that the Weishen boy was aware of what was going on. “My brother asked you to do that, right?” Kunhang asked quietly, pointing at the charmed air around them.

Donghyuck nodded. “How did you know?”

“Being separated from one’s oath-bound is very painful.” Kunhang flexed his gloved fingers, as if he wanted to reach out and shatter the barrier himself. “Only my brother would try such a thing.”

“Does it make Dejun weaker if there’s a wall between you two?”

“No.” Kunhang smiled. “Dejun has my strength until his dying breath. It would take a lot more to separate us. But, he’s angry now.” The small furrow between Kunhang’s brow told Donghyuck that this wasn’t a development in Lucas’ favour. “Very angry.”

Heart thundering in his chest, Donghyuck turned his head, just as the clearing was bathed in light by the fire of the first spell.

*

_“Will you light another flame for me if I lose?”_

Dejun smiled as he grabbed onto the underarm Lucas offered him, inked fingers pressing against Lucas’ bare skin.

With the snow falling quietly around them, it was easy for Lucas to blink and see a younger version of his friend, dressed in the same silver robes, meeting his gaze with the same determination etched into every line of his face.

Determination and dread.

It made a part of Lucas want to laugh, how very much Dejun still tried to hide his true feelings from him and how very much he could see right through him. Always had been able to and always would be.

_“One is more than enough.”_

It were somber words, holding a truth that Lucas couldn’t deny. Everyone should only be granted one death. Everyone except for himself, it seemed.

He nodded. _“Fight well, brother.”_

Dejun’s eyes were glowing yellow as he let go of him. _“You, too.”_

They stepped away from each other and Lucas could tell the exact moment the barrier went into place. Dejun hissed, as if cut by a knife. His nostrils flared and where his expression had been heavy with thinly-veiled sadness, it was distorted by anger. The grip he had on his wand turned white-knuckled.

 _“It’s only a temporary barrier,”_ Lucas explained as he raised his own wand, ready to deflect whatever spell Dejun would send at him in retaliation.

Dejun’s voice was cold in return, _“After taking him away from me for months, you are so cruel to put a wall between him and I again?”_

_“I needed to make sure you would fight me properly.” Like you deserve. Like I deserve._

Lucas got little more forewarning than the twitch of Dejun’s mouth before red light erupted form the tip of Dejun’s wand and he had to roll to the side to dodge the sharp-edged curse headed for his legs.

There was no time for recuperation as the earth beneath him began to quiver.

 _“Finite!”_ he directed at the ground, making it still, before he took a running start. _“_ _T_ _ǒ_ _ngt_ _ǒ_ _ng sh_ _í_ _hu_ _à_ _!_ _”_ he yelled, sending a leg-locker curse in Dejun’s direction

He hissed when the answering curse hit him in the side and he felt his skin prickle as it was sliced open. He retaliated with hex after hex, dodging the ones Dejun fired at him as they circled each other.

Lucas had known that fighting against Dejun would be a nightmare. There was never any warning, Dejun’s magic as silent as it was deadly. That was what Dejun had specialised in.

A scream escaped him when one of Dejun’s curses hit his arm and he felt blood trickle from a dozen small, painful cuts opening on his skin. Sending a branch from one of the nearby trees flying in Dejun’s direction, Lucas counted his blessings that the curse hadn’t hit his wand-strong arm.

Dejun jumped out of the way of the branch but one of the twigs brushed his face, slicing open the skin above his temple. He wiped the blood out of his eye with a snarl.

Lucas yelled when he was hurtled into the air, spinning around his own axis before he crashed into frozen ground. The shoulder of his injured arm popped when he landed on it. He groaned as pain flooded his body.

The other in him was roiling, clawing at his insides and he had to swallow down the bile rising in his throat before he could push himself to his feet. His legs shook as he stood, his fingers cramping around the rowan wood of his wand.

A quick, painless end. That was what he wanted for this duel.

He dodged the curse headed at his chest and yelled out, _“Expelliarmus!”_ before he struck out his wand once more, _“Sù sù jìn gù!”_

As Dejun’s wand flew from his hand, ropes shot out and tied Dejun’s arms to his middle, immobilising him. Dejun struggled against the binds around him, an angry yell escaping him as he stared at Lucas.

Lucas ran across the clearing as fast as his legs would carry him. Once he was within reach, he dropped down and picked up Dejun’s wand. His triumph tasted bitter as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

With a wand in each hand, he slowly approached his friend.

 _“I won!”_ he called out, brandishing Dejun’s wand. _“Give up, friend!”_

He came closer and closer until he saw the smoke rising from Dejun’s robes, the unveiled rage in Dejun’s eyes at having been caught. The sight made him falter in his step. He clutched the cool blackthorn wood of Dejun’s wand in his hand. The dragon heart string in its core was silent for him.

Too late, he remembered that its heart was not the only thing Dejun had taken from the dragon.

 _“No!”_ Lucas yelled out when he realised what Dejun was doing, but it was already too late.

Sparks ignited all around Dejun’s form, erupting into flames that grew into strings of fire. They came together to encircle him.

 _“Dejun!”_ Lucas screamed, but Dejun didn’t hear him.

His friend tipped his head back, his eyes rolling back in his head as he opened his mouth in a silent roar. The flames surrounding him rose higher and higher until the sky was filled with dragon fyre. The moment his breath ran out, Dejun slumped in on himself, but that didn’t make a difference.

The dragon he had conjured roared in his place, a being entirely made up of rage and bright orange flames. With a single beat of its mighty wings, it lifted into the sky, spewing bright blue fyre across the clearing.

Lucas had no time to prepare himself, nowhere to run. The protection spell he cast around himself shattered the moment the dragon came down on him.

He was thrown onto his back, orange flames engulfing him. Instinctively, he tried to cover his face as the dragon passed over him, but there was no saving himself. Fyre seared his skin and clothes, scorching the bare skin of his underarms and chest. Worse than the heat was the smoke invading his lungs, robbing him of all oxygen. It felt like his lungs were burning from the inside, his vision growing fuzzy the longer he was enclosed.

Finally, the dragon rose into the sky once more, scorching the nearest line of trees with the brush of a wing and Lucas dared to let his head fall to the side.

The world was tinted in an orange glow, but nonetheless he could make out his friends inside the barrier Mark had conjured around them. Kunhang was standing with his hands clasped over his mouth, Yangyang next to him looking furious. Jungwoo was fighting against the grip Mark and Donghyuck had on his arms. Even if the barrier was soundproof, Lucas could hear Jungwoo scream his name.

 _Sorry,_ he wanted to say.

 _“Give up, brother!”_ Dejun’s faint voice reached him, free of his bounds. _“It’s over!”_

Breathing against the pain in his lungs, Lucas smiled.

He wanted to see Jungwoo laugh again. He wanted to spend long afternoons lounging around with his friends. He wanted to eat Kun’s cake and earn Ten’s forgiveness. He wanted to live. He wanted to live more than he had ever wanted anything else. 

The singed skin on his arm pulled taut as he raised his wand towards the sky, but he did it nonetheless. He had endured so much pain, he could endure just a little more. A tear slipped from his eye as he gazed at the stars. It was such a vivid, beautiful sight. 

_"Léi y_ _ǔ_ _ti_ _ā_ _n ji_ _àn_ _g!"_

White light erupted from the tip of his wand, sharp and blinding, shooting upwards in a lightning strike. The first rumble of the sky was drowned out by the roaring of the dragon, batting its wings and winding its body in mid-air to turn tail and come for him once more. He smiled as his vision filled with fyre.

The rain reached him first.

There was a drop, then two, then a hundred thousand that fell from the sky. The cold downpour soothed his burnt skin, washed the soot and blood off his body and mixed with his tears. Getting to his knees was easy when he was supported by the winds of a storm, helping him stand upright.

Another swing of his wand and lightning struck. It spiked through the dragon’s flank, sending the creature dwindling to the ground. The dragon wailed and Dejun roared along with it, clasping his hands to coax it to life once more, but it was of no use. The downpour falling from the sky battered the dragon’s form, extinguishing it drop by drop until the beast was nothing more than ashes in the rain.

Dejun slumped to his knees just as Lucas took his first step towards him.

Bolts of lightning accompanied him as he made his way over, chunks of frozen earth flying into the air whenever another lightning bolt struck the ground. This was what Lucas had specialised in. Where Dejun had chosen silence, he had chosen raw, unbridled energy. The sky, and all its terrors.

 _“Dejun!”_ he called out to be heard over the merciless rain that washed out all sounds around them, soaked the snow and ice and earth.

Dejun slowly raised his head, water dripping from his lashes and the tip of his nose. His lips formed a soundless word.

Not a curse this time, but Lucas’ name.

Lucas waded through the mud and slush to get to him, the storm roaring around them. The winds surrounding him became stronger and stronger as he raised his wand. Just as he cast the spell to put an end to the storm, Dejun pushed himself up and onto his feet. Lucas felt time grind to a halt as he watched lightning come down one last time, striking Dejun in the base of his skull.

Dejun’s body convulsed before it went down.

The scream that ripped from Lucas’ throat was lost to the lessening storm around them. His legs gave in, his wand slipping from his fingers as he hit the ground hard. He didn’t care for any of it as he crawled the last metre between himself and his friend, his fingers curling into drenched, silver fabric as he turned Dejun onto his back.

 _“Dejun!”_ Dejun’s eyes were closed so Lucas cupped his cheeks, willing his friend to open his eyes. _“Please,”_ he begged. _“Please, brother!”_

Behind him, there was a sound like shattering glass, followed by the unmistakable sizzling sound of fading magic. Lucas didn’t pay it any mind. He brought his hands to Dejun’s chest, pushing apart his robes until he could feel his heart. Dejun’s chest was littered in long-faded scars that had been already there when Lucas had met him, but along with the old scars, there was also a new pattern of deep purple lines, spreading from the back of his neck over his shoulder to cover his chest. Lucas thought that it looked like lightning itself had engraved itself into Dejun’s skin, the purple lines fanning out like branches of a tree.

His breath caught at the sight and he blinked when cold, inked fingers snapped around his wrists, pushing his hands away. He looked up to find Dejun gazing at him with half-lidded eyes.

 _“Don’t kneel.”_ Dejun’s voice was quiet but strong, like he himself was. A tiny, bload-soaked smile played on his lips. _“The First Son of Weishen shouldn’t kneel.”_

Swallowing the sob building in his throat, Lucas brought his forehead to Dejun’s chest. He had to say it now, in the shadow of his victory where he was First for just one more, one last time. _“You will return to them. You will return to them and you will lead them well. You can never speak of me, or of what you saw here. You will return to them and you will be their First. You will be the First Son of Weishen, because Wong Yukhei is dead and you have earned it, Xiao Dejun. You have earned it.”_

There was a wet glimmer in Dejun’s eyes as he let his lids fall shut with a nod and Lucas imagined that he could see a single tear running down Dejun’s cheek before his vision was flooded with white light.

A long-held breath escaped him as the wounds on his body knitted together and new, pink skin bloomed where the old one had been seared and singed. He fell onto his back, lying side by side with Dejun while Kunhang fell to his knees between them. The lines of his brother’s tattoos were glowing brightly as he brandished his wand at them, doing what he always had done. He put them back together when they had been dumb enough to tear themselves apart.

 _“I’m so mad at you!”_ Kunhang yelled as he continuously worked healing spells into their skin. “ _I’m so—”_

He yelped when Dejun grabbed onto his hand and pulled him down, sending Kunhang sprawling across his chest. Dejun caught him easily, ensuring that no part of Kunhang touched the cold, frozen ground. _“I’m sorry, xīn gān,”_ he murmured as he caressed Kunhang’s face.

Lucas suppressed a bout of laughter when he saw Kunhang melt. As if his little brother had sensed his amusement, Kunhang whipped his head around and glared at him. _“And you!”_

Lucas lost no time rolling over so he could envelop both his brother and Dejun into a hug, squeezing the merry life of them until he felt content, until he felt as light as he had when he had been a child and his brother and best friend had been all he had needed to be happy.

 _“Thank you,”_ he said, knowing they would understand what he wanted to say.

Despite his red-rimmed eyes, Kunhang’s smile was gentle as he pressed his hand against Lucas’ heart, fully healed for the first time since the night they had snuck into the woods and only one of them had come out. His eyes were not on Lucas as he spoke, _“You’re welcome, brother. You should go now. He has waited for long enough.”_

Lucas smiled. He plastered a kiss to Kunhang’s forehead before doing the same to a squirming Dejun. It was easy to let go of them when he knew they would be waiting for him when he turned back.

He pushed himself to his feet. His body still ached, the muscles in his thigh quivering, but he knew Kunhang’s magic had worked flawlessly. His steps were hesitant before he dared to pick up pace, breaking into a sprint. Where his friends were still at the edge of the clearing, standing inside the lines of the barrier Kunhang had shattered, Jungwoo freed himself from Donghyuck and Mark’s arms and ran towards him.

They met in the middle. Lucas laughed when Jungwoo all but tackled him into the snow, seething with all the anger that could only ever stem from true love. He rolled them over and dipped down, crashing their mouths together.

“I love you,” he breathed. It was the most important thing to say. “I love you more than anything.”

Jungwoo shivered beneath him, eyes glistening with tears as he cupped Lucas’ cheek. “I was scared. I was so scared, Lucas. When he conjured the dragon fyre, I—” 

“I know.” He captured Jungwoo’s lips in another kiss before resting their foreheads together. “It’s over now. I promise.”

Shaking fingers brushed his rain-soaked hair out of his face for him. “You won.”

“For you.” Lucas smiled when loving fingers brushed his cheek. “I’m all yours, Jungwoo. Lucas is all yours.” He caught Jungwoo’s hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of his palm. “You are my life.”

Jungwoo smiled at him, the most beautiful smile in the world. “I love you, Lucas. More than you can know.”

Lucas could have spent forever in this moment where it was just him and the boy he loved, but Jungwoo’s nose was getting red from the cold and without the excitement of battle keeping his blood pumping, the bare skin of his upper body was starting to hurt from the cold.

Jungwoo seemed to notice, hands gliding up Lucas’ bare arms before he pushed against him to get up. “Come on. I left your cloak with the others.”

The thought of warmth made Lucas pull himself to his feet. He couldn’t bear letting go of Jungwoo just yet, so they walked over arm in arm. To his surprise, it was Yangyang who embraced him first when they reached their friends.

“Not bad, big guy,” Yangyang all but yelled into his ear, sounding a little choked up, but before Lucas could tease him about it, Mark and Donghyuck pushed him aside to embrace Lucas in his stead.

“Okay?” Donghyuck asked him.

“I’m okay.” Lucas nodded.

“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Mark joked as he clapped Lucas on the back. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified because of what I just saw, honestly.”

“He is the First Son of Weishen,” Dejun said as he came up behind them. He looked about as exhausted as Lucas felt, but there was strength in his voice. They had grown up on a mountain, and become just as unyielding as the stone. “Both is appropriate.”

“Yo, you were awesome too!”

Dejun blinked in honest surprise. Kunhang next to him laughed, swinging their intertwined hands. “Thank you, friend.”

Mark grinned at them.

“We should head back,” Donghyuck said, amber eyes reflecting the half-moon above. “The night will be over soon and we have to be back in the castle by then.”

There were no objections to that and Lucas was grateful when Donghyuck handed him his cloak. A breath of relief escaped him as soon as the warmed fabric covered him. He didn’t mention the warming spell Donghyuck must have used to warm the fabric for him. 

As they started the long trek out of the Forbidden Forest, he fell into step with Dejun and Kunhang. He wanted to savour every moment he had with his family before they would inevitably leave for a home he could not return to with them.

Kunhang seemed to be able to read his thoughts as he draped Lucas’ arm over his shoulder. _“I’m happy for you, brother. I can see that they are good to you here.”_

Lucas smiled as he watched his friends walk in front of them, Mark and Donghyuck leading the way while Yangyang all but ran circles around Jungwoo in an effort to convince Jungwoo of something that involved Kun, Yangyang’s History of Magic essay and lemon cake. _“They are.”_

Dejun was silent as he touched Lucas’ shoulder, but Lucas could read the same sentiment in his eyes that Kunhang held for him. It would withstand distance and time, Lucas knew, because they were bound by fyre and blood.

Feeling laughter bubbling up in his throat, he threw his remaining arm over Dejun’s shoulder and led his family back to the castle he now called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see the dragon spew fyre? If you liked it, please leave me a kudos and comment! It makes my day every day! <3  
>   
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/taeyongseo)  
> [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/taeyongseo)  
>   
> [tcoa's official playlist](http://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xg1d0bimn9HL7eeybm71I?si=aHrRPYZBRcW1RVEPM4u0rw)  
> [cover art](http://twitter.com/outlawofideal/status/1201472142791102469?s=20)  
> [TCOA Out Of Context art series](http://twitter.com/milkyrabbitfox/status/1211139387204890626)  
> [fanart for The Hogwarts Almighty](https://twitter.com/fallinfleur/status/1236653559527211009?s=20)  
> [TCOA character aesthetics!](https://twitter.com/petitlavande_/status/1306391294944710657?s=20)  
> 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Baby, I will wait for you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033336) by [Jia_Stormborn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jia_Stormborn/pseuds/Jia_Stormborn)




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